Romeo And Juliet/West Side Story Essays - , Term Papers

Romeo And Juliet/West Side Story In approximately 1594, William Shakespeare began to write one of the most well known tragedies in history, Romeo and Juliet. Arguably, no author to date has matched Shakespeares skill and beauty in the creation of this work. However, authors have regurgitated and will continue to regurgitate the theme, star-crossed lovers, for centuries. Martha Duffy remarks in West Side Glory, Slang may change and violence escalate, but the theme of star-crossed city kids has never dated, nor has its appeal diminished (p. 1). The only viable attempt is the work of modern dramatist Arthur Laurents. However, Laurents West Side Story originally written as an attempt to modernize Romeo and Juliet, actually became a work of skill and beauty in its own right. The emphasis is now removed from simply modernizing Romeo and Juliet; the emphasis is the creation of art through a similar theme, yet very differing styles and influences. The similarities abound within Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story; conseque ntly, there are many deviations found in the plots, characters, and authors influences. While certain aspects of the two works remain parallel, many deviations are found within the plot. In West Side Story, the first obvious difference, excluding time periods, is the exile situation. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is exiled due to public knowledge of his deed. West Side Storys Romeo, Tony, becomes a fugitive because the public is searching for a criminal. In Introduction, Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story: An Appreciation Norris Houghton writes, As a result of this altered circumstance the plot of West Side Story begins at this point to deviate from Shakespeares drama (p. 10). Another deviation in plot is the role of the Friar Laurence character, Doc, in West Side Story. Mr. Houghton also comments, Doc, who is obviously intended as a counterpart of Friar Laurence, takes no comparably active role in the plotting (p.10). Houghton also agrees, More significantly, the false report that the boy receives of the girls death is carried by Anita through the gang as a willful act, not as an unfortuitous happenstance, such as befell Romeo because of the erroneous information Balthasar conveyed and the prevention of Friar Johns delivery of the secret of Juliets feigned death (p.10) The greatest alterations in the plot of West Side Story occur in the final scene. In Romeo and Juliet, the final moment is as expected from a Shakespearean tragedy, almost all of the main characters die. However, Houghton explains that Laurents totally abandons Shakespeares ideals in his final scene. Laurents eschews Shakespeares scheme of the fake death of Juliet induced... to allow time for a reunion with Romeo according to Houghton. Due to this abandonment, Laurents must create his own quasi-tragic ending. Laurents does create the desired ending, and with this creation he removes the slaughter and implants somewhat believable ending. At the end, Laurents Paris and Juliet (Chino and Maria) are still very much alive, and Tony does not take his own life; he is killed by Chino. Some suggest this ending to be a mere alteration to please the Broadway audience. However, Houghton agrees, This can hardly be valid, for a truly sentimental soap-opera denouncement would somehow have saved bot h protagonists from death and reunited them in life (p.11). The other obvious differences in the two works are the characters. The male characters are different obviously due to time period differences. They, just as the female characters, are also different in age. Houghton implies, At fourteen girls may have been betrothed and wed in the sixteenth century; in ours it stretches credulity (p.9). Also, Laurents Juliet character has a different character than that of Shakespeares. Maria is not willing to take her own life for love as explained shown by Mr. Houghton, The contemporary playwright obviously feels that suicide is inconsistent with his heroines character, that her death by her own hand would only diminish her stature (p.11). Also inconsistent with Shakespeares work is the use of Puerto Ricans verses Anglos rather than Capulets and Montagues. The use of parental figure in West Side Story is noted inconsistent as well. The parents of Romeo and Juliet play a considerable role in the Shakespearean work; however, the parents