Romeo and juliet and west side story by norris houghton. What are the similarities between romeo and juliet and. The characters have a direct correlation to each other, yet racial. Just as romeo and juliet are born to rival families, tony and maria are associated with rival gangs. West side story is based on one of shakespeares finest tragedies, romeo and juliet. A comparison of scenes from west side story and romeo and. Romeo and juliet and west side story by william shakespeare.
In our own time, shakespeares drama has been used as a basis for the. Theres lots of reasons to watch this film, but the genius adaptation of shakespeares tale of starcrossd lovers is the big one. Romeo and juliet no fear translation famous love story ever written. Capulet, for example, when he first discovers juliet s faked death, describes it as having deflowered his daughter. Whittled down to one hour and fortyfive minutes, west side story with book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein, lyrics by stephen sondheim, and choreography by jerome robbins. Everyone has read romeo and juliet, the classic love story by william shakespeare, and most have seen the movie west side story, probably noticing some similarities two groups against each other with lovers in the middle, and a tragic ending. Romeo and juliet and west side story 9780440974833. No fear shakespeare gives you the complete text of romeo and juliet on the lefthand page, sidebyside with an easytounderstand translation on the right. In the west side story maria and tony fall in love with each other as do romeo and juliet.
Capulet, for example, when he first discovers juliets faked death, describes it as having deflowered his daughter. West side story and romeo and juliet free essay example. West side story, american musical film, released in 1961, that was inspired by shakespeare s romeo and juliet. Theres lots of reasons to watch this film, but the genius adaptation of shakespeares tale of starcrossd lovers is. Romeo and juliet, west side story, compare and contrast essay. Buy a cheap copy of romeo and juliet west side story book. The tragedy of love thwarted by fate has always intrigued writers. They both consist of a pair of starcrossed lovers and the story of their short lived love, which eventually ends in deaths. Romeo and juliet and west side story share many similar themes.
West side story as a modern romeo and juliet writework. Romeo and juliet and west side story by william shakespeare, 9780440974833, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The movie, filled with exhilarating dance sequences choreographed by jerome robbins and memorable songsincluding tonight, maria, and somewhereby leonard bernstein music and stephen sondheim lyrics, won 10. Romeo and juliet versus west side story study guides and book.
Vivid film adaptation of the landmark broadway musical, updating the romeo and juliet story to the youthgang atmosphere of late 1950s n. Romeo and juliet west side story by william shakespeare, arthur. Two perennial classicswilliam shakespeares romeo and juliet and the broadway musical west side story in a single volume. Romeo and juliet cant be together because of their familys hatred, and tony and marias love is. It was inspired by william shakespeares play romeo and juliet the story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, a multiracial, bluecollar neighborhood. Throughout the tragedy of romeo and juliet and west side story the audience can find several things in common, but on the contrary the differences between the two are quite translucent. The film romeo and juliet 1968 is about two rival families, the montagues and the capulets, whose family feuds have gone so far back in their history that they forget the fuel behind their disputes. This single volume containing the scripts of both west side story and its source, romeo and juliet, is an excellent resource for comparing and contrasting both plays. In this volume are both works, which, though separated by centuries, parallel each other in many ways. West side story and romeo and juliet both revolve around two rival groups andor gangs. Romeo and juliet and west side story 9780440974833 and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at.
Although west side story is not as famous as romeo and juliet, it was a impressive work of its time, and it. The tragedy of love thwarted by fate has always in. Romeo and julietwest side story by william shakespeare. West side story and romeo and juliet differ in many ways. Juliet is betrothed to paris, and maria has been set up with chino some montague men crash the capulet party in which romeo meets juliet. Although both of these stories havemany similarities, there are also many differences. Shakespeare s the tragedy of romeo and juliet and arthur laurent s west side story share many elements in common, but also have differences that separate them. Romeo and juliet west side story by william shakespeare. Begin with a fight between two groups of people who hate each other and they get stopped by someone who is in. West side story and the american idea of getting along. Personally, i did not like the endings of west side story and romeo and juliet. Find this book add to reading list please note that the lexile measures for a small population of books have been recently updated.
In the shakespeare play, tybalt kills mercutio, and romeo in turn kills tybalt. Romeo and juliet and west side story book by william. He served as the first dean of the division of theater arts and. Judith leon compare and contrast similarities are very similar especially because west side story is based on romeo and juliet. West side story and romeo and juliet are similar and alike. The story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, a multiracial, bluecollar neighborhood. Young lovers caught between prejudice and warring street gangs in a retelling of romeo and juliet. Romeo and juliet, west side story, compare and contrast.
Modernday montague, from a rival gang instead of a rival family. Romeo and juliet west side story a comparison contrast 993 words. It was inspired by william shakespeare s play romeo and juliet. Throughout the story, both romeo and juliet, along with the other characters, fantasise about it as a dark being, often equating it with a lover. Compare and contrast tony and romeo in west side story. The play romeo and juliet by william shakespeare was. Therefore, one way to learn more about works of art is to compare and contrast them. Great art borrows from the past and gives to the future. The late late show with james corden recommended for you. The musical explores the rivalry between the jets and the sharks, two teenage. Though one of these works is set among the nobility of verona, and the other among immigrant families of new yorks west side, both tell the story of the plight of young starcrossed lovers. Laurents wrote the book for west side story, which updated romeo and juliet to the streets of new york, with gangs called the jets and the sharks replacing the houses of. Although west side story is a direct rendition of shakespeares original play, many of the themes and symbols are altered to fit the modern perspective. Both characters are portrayed as growing out of youthful pastimes in favour of romantic pursuits.
It is about rivalry between two teenage gangs of different backgrounds. In the sixteenth century, william shakespeare took this theme and fashioned one of the worlds great plays. The story of starcrossed lovers will continue to exist for as long as man does. Romeo and juliet is a sad love story thats a classic known by many. In west side story, the character bernardo kills riff, the best friend of tony, which leads to tony killing bernardo. The two stories are similar in a multitude of ways, even though their settings are. Romeo and juliet and west side story comparative essay. Romeo and juliet both chronicle a story of overcoming prejudice and hatred, forbidden love, and defying stereotypes that nobody thought could be broken. A comparison of scenes from west side story and romeo and juliet cinematography the scene before the meeting scene in west side story maria spins around in her dress the camera then carries on spinning which creates a colourful blurred effect on the screen. Shakespeares romeo and juliet and west side story both have a lot in common as well as major differences that set them apart. West side story is the awardwinning adaptation of the classic romantic tragedy romeo and juliet. Romeo and juliet and west side story book by william shakespeare. It is the perfect model to be used by other writers.
Two perennial classicswilliam shakespeares romeo and juliet and the broadway musical west side storyin a single volume. West side story is a musical with a book by arthur laurents, music by leonard bernstein and lyrics by stephen sondheim. Romeo and juliet, west side story, two timeless dramasthat will live forever. The story is set in the upper west side neighborhood in new york city in the mid 1950s, an ethnic, bluecollar neighborhood in the early 1960s, much of the. West side story, the iconic, tonywinning broadway musical transplants romeo and juliet to the backstreets of new york on chicagos biggest stage at lyric. West side story romeo and juliet western university. Above anything and everything else, west side story is a retelling of romeo and juliet. This allows you to see the works as individual parts of a larger whole. First performed around 1596, romeo and juliet has been adapted as a ballet, an opera, the musical west side story, and a dozen films. Stephen sondheim west side story is based on one of shakespeares finest tragedies, romeo and juliet.
West side story summary and study guide supersummary. The play romeo and juliet by william shakespeare was written around the year 1595. Minimal markingshighlighting oninside book, none of which detracts from content. Romeo and juliet and west side story comparative essay two feuding families in the old city of verona, and two rival gangs in new yorks west side. All in all, west side story and romeo and juliet are classics that will stand the test of time. From the first notes to the final breath, west side story is one of the most memorable musicals and greatest love stories of all time and the score.
West side story written by arthur laurents is actually a modern adaptation of shakespeares romeo and juliet. Although west side story is not as famous as romeo and juliet, it was a impressive work of its time, and it has left his mark on the times afterwards. West side story is different from romeo and juliet in many ways laurences west side story is an apparition of shakespeares romeo and juliet. Shakespeares the tragedy of romeo and juliet and arthur laurents west side story share many elements in common, but also have differences that separate them. The audience can infer that the families and gangs play a huge part in changing the plot line. May 31, 2005 shakespeares romeo and juliet and west side story both have a lot in common as well as major differences that set them apart. Buy a cheap copy of romeo and juliet and west side story book by william shakespeare.
Aug 02, 2012 romeo and juliet comparison in themes the overriding theme, of course, between the two stories romeo and juliet and the west side story is love deep, intense and passionate love that defies friendship, family and everything in between. Two perennial classics william shakespeares romeo and juliet and the broadway musical west side storyin a single volume. It was inspired by william shakespeares play romeo and juliet. Romeo and juliet vs west side story freebooksummary. The west side story is set in upper west side manhattan. Though one of these works is set among the nobility of verona, and the other among immigrant families of new yorks west side, both tell the story of the plight of young star. Romeo and juliet versus west side story by kirk forte romeo and juliet, west side story, two timeless dramas that will live forever. Get an answer for compare and contrast tony and romeo in west side story with romeo and juliet. Though one of these works is set among the nobility of verona, and the other. The feuding families become two warring new york city gangsthe white jets led by riff and the latino sharks, led by bernardo. Romeo and juliet west side story a comparison contrast. And unlike the typical broadway musical of the 1950s and before, west side story does not offer audiences a happy ending. It is one of the best works of william shakespeare.
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