Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet Everyone knows the classic love story between two of the most popular characters of all time, Romeo and Juliet. Their story has been recreated, reproduced, and reused for centuries and the text has traveled through time and form to become incredibly famous. Romeo and Juliet has been transformed into plays, books, movies, and even songs. Some of the most popular people in the world, like Taylor Swift, have taken inspiration from the romantic story that was originally printed as a play in the late sixteenth century by William Shakespeare to write music and create a very popular song. Although the story has evolved over time and is different in each style, the overall theme has been carried on throughout the years. The original story of Romeo and Juliet was written and printed as a play in 1597 by William Shakespeare, although it has ben suggested that it was performed a year or two before actually being printed. The story is about a young man, Romeo, and woman, Juliet, who live very different lifestyles. Although the both of their families live in the same town of Verona, they absolutely despise each other. Juliet’s father, Capulet, and Romeo’s father, Montague, were the patriarchs of each families house and were very uptight about any of their family members associating with the other rival family. Romeo and Juliet were a man and woman meant to live happily ever after, but had to go to desperate measures to express and convey their love for one another (“Romeo and Juliet”. Shmoop). It all began at Capulet’s house during a massive feast that people from all over attended, although of course, excluding any Montagues. Before the feast, Romeo believed that he loved a woman named Rosaline, but the love was unrequited. At the feast, Juliet was supposed to look at a man, Paris, to see if she could potentially fall in love and marry him. Rosaline was on the list of people attending the feast which motivated Romeo to sneak in even though he was not allowed. Romeo and Juliet lived in entirely different worlds until the unthinkable happened. Romeo entered the feast and saw Juliet; it was true love at first sight. After the feast Romeo and Juliet snuck in the garden to see one another when they decided to get married. The next day Romeo got in a fight with a Montague, Tybalt, and killed him. He is then ordered to leave Verona forever. Juliet is distraught over knowing that her husband murdered a kinsman, but understands that her loyalty belongs with her love: Romeo (“Romeo and Juliet” Sparknotes). Romeo has left Verona and Juliet decides that she is going to drink a potion and fake her death. While she is in her family’s crypt, Romeo and the Friar will rescue Juliet and they can live happily ever after. Although that is not quite what happened. Romeo never received the message that would tell him the plan. When he returns to Verona, he discovers that his love is dead, or so he thinks. Romeo proceeds to killing himself by consuming a vial and laying next to Juliet. Moments later, she awakes from the potion to realize her love, Romeo, is truly dead. Juliet took his dagger and buried it in her chest, falling onto Romeo. It was a tragic ending, but also romantic because they took their own lives for the person they love (Watts). Romeo and Juliet was originally written by Shakespeare to be a play but over many years with incredible advances in technology, it was made into a movie. According to IMDb, the first Romeo and Juliet was directed by J. Stuart Blackton in 1908. Since then, there have been over 160 different versions of the movie, including films in other languages and from different countries. Two of the most popular variations of Romeo and Juliet were filmed in 1968 and 1996. They both maintained the overall theme, plot, and message that Shakespeare intended to create just like majority of the reproductions. The overall theme that Shakespeare tried to create for his viewers and readers was: It describes the battle of love and hate, in which battle love is victorious. When Romeo first enters and sees the evidences of the fray between the partisans of Capulet and Montague he says: Here’s much to do with hate, but more with love. This remark describes the play (“There Main Theme of Romeo and Juliet” para 1). Not only has Romeo and Juliet been remade in the way that Shakespeare intended, but it was also remade by Touchstone Pictures in 2011 as an animation and spoof. The movie was titled Gnomeo and Juliet and had the same basic theme and plot as Shakespeare’s play, but they have one major difference. Gnomeo and Juliet is not about people, but instead it is about garden gnomes. There are two families who hate each other, there are two gnomes who fall in love, and there are two tragic deaths which all help create the epic love story that began in 1597. Gnomeo and Juliet was intended to be more child-friendly while also gaining the interest of men and women that enjoyed the original Romeo and Juliet. Another way that Romeo and Juliet has evolved over time, is by becoming very popular in the music industry. On September 12, 2008 Taylor Swift released the song “Love Story” which is entirely based off of the original love story written by Shakespeare. Taylor sings, “That you were Romeo, you were throwing pebbles, And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet’... So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet ‘cause we’re dead if they knew... He knelt to the ground and pulled out a ring and said marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone” (““Love Story” Lyrics”). The song is very similar to the original version, but it also has a big difference. At the end of the song, Taylor sings, “Marry me, Juliet, you’ll never have to be alone. I love you, and that’s all I really know. I talked to your dad- go pick out a white dress...” (““Love Story” Lyrics”). The song says that Romeo asked Juliet’s father for her hand in marriage and that he approved, but that never happened in the original play. Taylor Swift’s song is not the only song that alludes to Romeo and Juliet. In fact, there are many songs written by different artists and are of completely different genres. A few examples of the songs are: “Hey Juliet” by TMNT, “Check Yes, Juliet” by We the Kings, “Romeo and Juliet” by The Killers, and “Our Lady of Sorrows” by My Chemical Romance. All of the previously listed songs are based off of the original story of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare but have their own twists and turns to make them very different as well. The production of the play was intended to be a form of entertainment for people but over the years, the use has varied. The play is printed and written in a book form, and consequently is now used in schools across the world. Students in many schools are required to read and analyze the play to obtain knowledge of how writing was in the sixteenth century. Although this was not the intention of Shakespeare when he first created the play, it’s trajectory has changed over the centuries to interest people of all age groups. As mentioned before, Romeo and Juliet is very commonly studied by high school students across the United States. In some of the books, there are even line by line translations that compare Shakespearian language to modern day English to make the play more simple and easy to understand. Granted this was not the intention of Shakespeare either, times have changed and his representation of Romeo and Juliet has evolved. Another way that Romeo and Juliet has changed is that it has been condensed, altered, and simplified to create a children’s novel. The children’s version based off of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was written by Jana Costa in 2007. It maintains the same overall theme of love and hate, but is very condensed (“Romeo and Juliet.” Usborne Children’s Books). Not only has Romeo and Juliet been remade into songs, movies, and books, but it has also been recreated as a poem. An example of this is a children’s poem titled Romeo and Juliet for Kids. This version of Romeo and Juliet was published in 1998 and written by Lois Burdett (“Romeo and Juliet for Kids”). The trajectory and intended audience of Romeo and Juliet has changed from strictly adults and more mature people, to just about everyone- men, women, teens, and now children. In modern day society, people often think of Romeo and Juliet as a book, because it is printed as one. But it is important that we remember that Shakespeare intended for it to be a play. It is thought that Romeo and Juliet was enacted on stage for the first time in 1955, although the exact date and year is unknown. Remarkably enough, the play is still performed in theaters all over the United States many centuries later. Romeo and Juliet is reenacted by people of all ages- children in school plays, students in college, and even professionals on Broadway. Romeo and Juliet is performed in major cities across the United States such as Chicago and New York City but it has not been seen on Broadway since 1986- although there is a rumor that Orlando Bloom will be starring as Romeo sometime in the near future (“Orlando Bloom Eyes Broadway Debut in New Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet”). After a thorough investigation of the trajectory of Romeo and Juliet since the beginning of its time in 1597, one can see that it is a very powerful and influential piece of literature that is still relevant in today’s society. William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet as a play and form of entertainment and it has changed immensely over the years. It has transformed into novels, children’s books, songs, poems, and has been reenacted thousands of time. The overall theme and story established by Shakespeare is the beautifully torturous battle between love and hate which has been carried through many generations as the representation, distribution, and consequent receptions have changed.

Works Cited
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""Love Story" Lyrics." TAYLOR SWIFT LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
"The Main Theme of Romeo and Juliet." The Main Theme of Romeo and Juliet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
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"Romeo and Juliet for Kids." Barnes & Noble. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
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"Romeo and Juliet." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
"Romeo and Juliet." Usborne Children 's Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
"Romeo and Juliet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012.
Watts, Cedric Thomas. Romeo and Juliet. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Print.

Cited: IMDb. IMDb.com, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. ""Love Story" Lyrics." TAYLOR SWIFT LYRICS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "The Main Theme of Romeo and Juliet." The Main Theme of Romeo and Juliet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "Orlando Bloom Eyes Broadway Debut in New Adaptation of Romeo and Juliet." Broadway.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "Romeo and Juliet for Kids." Barnes & Noble. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "Romeo and Juliet." Shmoop. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "Romeo and Juliet." SparkNotes. SparkNotes, n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "Romeo and Juliet." Usborne Children 's Books. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. "Romeo and Juliet." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Dec. 2012. Web. 13 Dec. 2012. Watts, Cedric Thomas. Romeo and Juliet. Boston: Twayne, 1991. Print.