I would have the fight scene at midday, signifies something important at midday – importance. The fight would be traditional with a twist. Tybalt will be armed with a small dagger with a pistol in his gun pouch, Mercutio will have a fencing sword and a Pistol in his belt and Romeo will be armed with a Tazer. I say traditional because most of the gang wars that happened back when this play was set, used swords, and I’m using a mixture of modern and old weapons. Mercutio > “Good king of Cats”, when Mercutio says this, you could have the camera focus on Tybalt’s Gun. I would have them drive up at the same time, and park the cars adjacent to each other. The Cars would be metallic black Cadillac for the Montague’s and a similar but having a wild “flame” paint job on the Cadillac for the Capulet’s.
When the Montague’s and Capulet’s enter, the clear blue sky gets a little dim and the rival music starts; with lots of bass and slow. When Romeo enters after others; sunny skies suddenly turn into a bleak, grey rainy sky. Start’s to rain gently; like something bad about to happen, music would be moody rock, fast paced. Tybalt > “I am for you.” Romeo > “Gentle Mercutio, put thy rapier up.” Mercutio > “Come, sir, your ‘passado’”. At this point the audience will be all ready for the fight and now need the music to go with it, so I would play some hard instrumental techno music but keep it in line with the rock playing from when they entered.
The general theme of the costumes in this scene will be loose but casual; Shirts without a jumper or blazer and some trousers.
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Romeo - Sort of the ‘top man’ in all this so he has to look the part. So he has to have some posh looking shirt (white) and trousers (black - pressed) and maybe a thin cardigan (cream colour).
GCSE Shakespeare Coursework
Romeo and Juliet – Written Response Continued
Costumes continued...
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Tybalt – “Hard Man”, long black coat reaching down to the knees, black belt with silver buckle at the front – engraved Capulet at the front. He will be wearing black leather gloves, with a rugged torn look. And cowboy-western type boots. White stripped shirt with gold handcuffs.
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Mercutio – He will be dressed similar to Romeo, but having silver patterns in his trousers, like flames.
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Benvolio – exception to the others, he will be wearing some baggy cream nylon trousers and a wild, colourful Hawaiian shirt.
As this is a fight scene, the characters would use some sarcasm, bit of humour and some irony. Most fight scenes have some kind of humour and sarcasm to give effect; it’s used because it’s something extra to bite onto for the audience. Mercutio > “O calm, dishonourable, vile submission”, the character playing Mercutio could say that slowly but with some irony in the way that he says it.
The lighting is also essential for a good fight scene, if it is too dark or too light, it ruins the whole point of having a fight. As it’s a hot summer’s day in Verona… the lighting effects are already done; bright orange glows, crystal white clouds on a baby blue sky.
I think I have made this more exciting to view for the younger audience as fighting is nothing alien from the society today, so they can relate to it, the music is in touch with the youth and so is the clothing. People don’t like to see major changes and I don’t think I have made a lot of change just effective touches to make the younger generation interested. I think that older people will like this as well as their interested in the youth today and what they get up to.