Semiotic Analysis on Romeo and Juliet

Semiotics lies in every design, because people, especially the ruling class always attempts to instill their ideology to people in working class by making people believe in myths. I have applied it to the music video "Kissing you" which featured in "Romeo and Juliet (1996)" film. This music video also worked as an advertisement for the film, at the time it was running especially to people who belonged in their target markets, like myself. I was in my teenage years when it was popular and as it was reviewed again for this journal entry, I was quite surprised by the semiotics that lay in the film. From the very first scene where Romeo splashes his face with water then he takes off the mask and leaves it for good; This symbolizes that he is fed up of hiding, and he is willing to be true to himself and others as well. Then Romeo meets Juliet, where they can only see each other through a fish tank, and in this case the fish tank indicates that they belong in different groups, or may even represent that she is trapped from freely loving anyone, or that she does not have any freedom at all. This music video is conveniently set in a costume party, and Romeo is wearing a knight's armor which represents his masculinity and his strength, yet he is no longer wearing a mask or a helmet, this shows that he is now trustful and innocent. Characteristics of Juliet are pure, innocent, lovable and vulnerable. She is wearing a white dress that is worn in weddings, and the white dress is what people have signified as "angel" like. On top of that she is wearing the angel wings, and also, she wears a light make-up that signifies her purity, with her hairs down with no particular decorations – she does not need any. Families of Juliet and Romeo are in noticeably exaggerated fashion, with full wigs and heavy make up, this may indicate that they are wrapped up, untruthful, and disrespectful.

Romeo and Juliet (1996). The internet movie database inc. Retrieved July 20th 2007, from http://www.imdb.com/find?s=all&q=romeo+and+juliet.

Romeo & Juliet. Kissing You. (1996). YouTube LLC. Retreived July 20th 2007, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nuCxnq0H4hA