The hostility between the two families is because Romeo and his family are Catholics who live on one side of their village and Juliet and her family are Protestants and live on the other side of their village. The two sides are well-known in their neighbourhood, this makes it more of a danger to be together. They also single out each other and are not allowed to be seen or heard together. If they did do this whatever the matter they would probably be killed by their opposites and it would cause masses of trouble, violence and conflict.
Romeo and Juliet have actually only ever seen each other once before as it is too dangerous to be seen together. Romeo and Juliet would not communicate in long love sonnets and speeches face to face. They would communicate in many modern ways, here are the ways they would speak to each other. They would speak face to face some of the time, text using mobile phones and e-mail using the internet. Also they would speak to each other using a telephone.
When I am modernising a piece of text taken from the play of Romeo and Juliet I will be making the text easier and less complicated to read. I am now going to modernise a part of the balcony scene. Romeo and Juliet are in their own houses talking on the phone. Juliet’s father is called Joseph.
Juliet: Why were you born Romeo, the son of Montague? Romeo,
leave that control freak you call a Dad, and come to me, reject your name and if you don’t leave him I’ll leave mine.
Romeo: Shall I carry on listening or can I have my say?
Juliet: My darling just listen to me, you’re not my enemy, it is your name. What does your name mean anyway? It is no physical part of you, it is just a name, it’s no big deal. Why be a Montague, any name but a Montague, leave your name out of your life and our love life and have me instead.
Joseph: Juliet! Who are you speaking to?
Juliet: No one Dad!
I’ll have to go, I’ll speak to you soon, I’ll e-mail you, see ya later.
Juliet almost got caught by her father talking to Romeo. Joseph is aware of who Romeo is and if Juliet was to be found out, she would get herself and Romeo into serious trouble.
Later on in the night, Romeo and Juliet both go on the internet to speak to each other using a private chat room with just him and her in it. They are both in their own houses in their bedroom.
Romeo: Are we safe? Your Dad didn’t catch us did ‘e?
Juliet: No no, he just thought I was speaking to Kate next door.
Romeo: Ok gd gd, just make sure he no one finds anything that will make them suspicious, never mind finding’ out.
Juliet: I won’t, that goes for you as well, be careful.
Romeo: I’m finding this really difficult to live like this, I want to be with you all the time.
Juliet: It’s hard for me to Romeo, it works both ways.
Romeo: What are we going to do about it, I don’t think this is gonna work.
I am going to create a scene of my own which I would add to the end of my modernised Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are in Juliet’s house as nobody is present in their house.
Romeo: Look Juliet, I’ve got to speak to you about something.
Juliet: Come on then, spit it out
Romeo: Look this isn’t really gonna work between us is it??
Juliet: What dya mean this isn’t gonna work!!
Romeo: I mean this isn’t working out between us, I think we should just call it a day!!
Juliet: Call it a day, you aren’t serious are ye??
Romeo: Look Juliet I’m doing this for both our own safety.
Juliet: Oh ye, Whatever Romeo, just get out of my house and do me a favour and get shot on the way out.
Romeo storms out and Juliet bursts out into tears.
This is going to work well for a young modern audience because it is really up to date with what is going on in the world today. In a full play, it would include a good mixture of love and violence. Romeo and Juliet are living in a dangerous part of the world and they are mixing from different groups which in most people’s eyes in Northern Ireland shouldn’t happen.
By Jon-Paul Hoey
