Romeo and Juliet Theme Love Essay
- Submitted by: MrsHumphrey
- Views: 124
- Category: English: Shakespeare
- Date Submitted: 05/29/2016 05:29 AM
- Pages: 4
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The timeless tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet in both its dramatic and filmic forms highlights the key concerns of love and family duty and reveals who we are. These themes are as relevant in today’s postmodern society as they were in Shakespeare's 16th century. Baz Luhrmann’s provocative adaptation of the classic text explores (re-reveals) these concerns through cinematic devices appropriate to a modern audience.
Human love is an intricate part of human nature that both Shakespeare and Baz Lurhmann explore. The theme of love in Romeo and Juliet is prevalent in nearly every single scene of the play. However, Luhrmann and Shakespeare both take different approaches. Lurhmann uses an approach that appeals to a modern audience by using cinematic visual and sound devices. On the Contrary, Shakespeare uses language devices within the play to communicate his ideas to the audience. In act 1 scene 5, Shakespeare introduces the concept of ‘love at first sight’ when Romeo spots Juliet across the dance floor, he struck by her beauty and says “did my heart love till now. for I never saw true beauty until this night” The couple then break into a sonnet. Shakespeare’s use of the Petrarchan sonnet draws on the audience's expectations as this was a popular form in the 16th century. The 14 line sonnet which is formed as the couple exchange words, represents that the intensity of their love which has now sealed their union. The metaphor that Romeo uses to describe Juliet, “ she doth teaches the torches to burn bright” describes her as a source of beauty. This light and dark motif becomes a recurring theme that provides insights into the secret nature of their love.
Similarly, Luhrmann uses the light and dark motif as the couple exchange their love, however, he changes the setting of their first meeting from the dance floor of a masked ball to to a large fish tank set in a costume party. The non-diegetic sound of background song ‘I’m kissing you’ creates an intensely...
Human love is an intricate part of human nature that both Shakespeare and Baz Lurhmann explore. The theme of love in Romeo and Juliet is prevalent in nearly every single scene of the play. However, Luhrmann and Shakespeare both take different approaches. Lurhmann uses an approach that appeals to a modern audience by using cinematic visual and sound devices. On the Contrary, Shakespeare uses language devices within the play to communicate his ideas to the audience. In act 1 scene 5, Shakespeare introduces the concept of ‘love at first sight’ when Romeo spots Juliet across the dance floor, he struck by her beauty and says “did my heart love till now. for I never saw true beauty until this night” The couple then break into a sonnet. Shakespeare’s use of the Petrarchan sonnet draws on the audience's expectations as this was a popular form in the 16th century. The 14 line sonnet which is formed as the couple exchange words, represents that the intensity of their love which has now sealed their union. The metaphor that Romeo uses to describe Juliet, “ she doth teaches the torches to burn bright” describes her as a source of beauty. This light and dark motif becomes a recurring theme that provides insights into the secret nature of their love.
Similarly, Luhrmann uses the light and dark motif as the couple exchange their love, however, he changes the setting of their first meeting from the dance floor of a masked ball to to a large fish tank set in a costume party. The non-diegetic sound of background song ‘I’m kissing you’ creates an intensely...