Romeo and Juliet
Compare your reading of Lord Capulet in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ with the same character in Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation.
Romeo and Juliet is generally believed to have been a poem based on a real Italian love story from the 3rd century, Shakespeare wrote his version of the poem as a play in 1594. Baz Luhrmann then created his version of Shakespeare’s play as a movie in 1996, this adaptation of Shakespeare’s play was a commercial success, proving particularly popular with teenage film viewers. Baz Luhrmann's theatrical film adaptation of Shakespeare's play is set in Verona Beach and reverberates with pop music and gunfire. Verona Beach is a modern-day city, with cars, high-rise buildings, gas stations, and hot dogs stands, none of which were even conceived (or much less, available) during the time that Romeo and Juliet was written or performed. Distinguished by Luhrmann's bravura style, this film adaptation is a riveting introduction to Shakespeare's play and his language. In this essay I will be comparing the way in which Capulet is presented in Shakespeare’s version to Luhrmann’s movie, and how the audiences react differently to each of these different portrayals.
Romeo and Juliet, the play, was set during a very religious period, it was a ‘catholic’ society with a strong belief in religion. During the 16th century, children were regarded as ‘property’ and could be given in marriage to any suitable partner. At this time, the father was unequivocally the head of the family, this meant that the father had the right to decide whom his daughter married – marriage was a business agreement, and one of the reasons Capulet is so keen to marry Juliet off to Paris is because it represents a sound business investment. Marriage was looked upon as a political or financial transaction to secure and retain wealth, and girls were often married off very young. The American family unit of the 1990s, however, has a more egalitarian setup, where arranged marriages for
Romeo and Juliet is generally believed to have been a poem based on a real Italian love story from the 3rd century, Shakespeare wrote his version of the poem as a play in 1594. Baz Luhrmann then created his version of Shakespeare’s play as a movie in 1996, this adaptation of Shakespeare’s play was a commercial success, proving particularly popular with teenage film viewers. Baz Luhrmann's theatrical film adaptation of Shakespeare's play is set in Verona Beach and reverberates with pop music and gunfire. Verona Beach is a modern-day city, with cars, high-rise buildings, gas stations, and hot dogs stands, none of which were even conceived (or much less, available) during the time that Romeo and Juliet was written or performed. Distinguished by Luhrmann's bravura style, this film adaptation is a riveting introduction to Shakespeare's play and his language. In this essay I will be comparing the way in which Capulet is presented in Shakespeare’s version to Luhrmann’s movie, and how the audiences react differently to each of these different portrayals.
Romeo and Juliet, the play, was set during a very religious period, it was a ‘catholic’ society with a strong belief in religion. During the 16th century, children were regarded as ‘property’ and could be given in marriage to any suitable partner. At this time, the father was unequivocally the head of the family, this meant that the father had the right to decide whom his daughter married – marriage was a business agreement, and one of the reasons Capulet is so keen to marry Juliet off to Paris is because it represents a sound business investment. Marriage was looked upon as a political or financial transaction to secure and retain wealth, and girls were often married off very young. The American family unit of the 1990s, however, has a more egalitarian setup, where arranged marriages for