Ms. Groce
English I Honors 3rd
December 9, 2014
The White Dove and Her Knight
William Shakespeare, a brilliant playwright, cleverly crafted the play, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, to bring out all the compatible feelings his audience possesses to the main characters in the play. In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Friar Lawrence states, “These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder which, as they kiss, consume.” This simple quote summarises the love story between Romeo and Juliet. In the movie Romeo and Juliet, director, Baz Luhrmann, beautifully orchestrates a mix between archaic english dialect and the modern english language. Luhrmann makes subtle changes in characters movements that compliment Shakespeare’s writing style, which is evident throughout the play.
Luhrmann utilizes the element, setting, to captivate the reader into his movie. During the movie, Luhrmann has Juliet wake as Romeo is drinking the poison, dying. This significant change betters the play, making it more dramatic. The audience wants to run to Romeo and rescue him from making this fatal mistake that will bring Juliet, his sweet love, misery and pain . When both Romeo and Juliet take their last look of each other, the audience’s heart simultaneously breaks for both of them. Another great revision of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet Luhrmann makes is when Romeo sees Juliet at the party. Romeo and Juliet are cut off from each other they want so desperately to be with each other, The disability to no be with one another is worse than not seeing one another at all.This scene is very symbolic, it shows how Romeo and Juliet will always fall short of having a life together, Their family names will be there pride and there pain and torture. With Luhrmann's simple yet distinct changes people are able to appreciate Shakespeare’s beautiful work with more understanding of the art Shakespeare makes. Luhrmann's art for “lights, camera, action” is breathtaking. The way Romeo and Juliet are positioned and how the camera seems to capture the happiness and joy between the two love birds. After the Capulet party is over, Romeo comes to the balcony off of Juliet's room. Romeo if forced to jump into the pool when Juliets nurse comes for Juliet. The camera closes up on Romeo, bubbles swarm around his face and he is out of reach of his beloved Juliet. This shows how close Romeo keeps getting with Juliet but will never be able to be with her forever. There will always be some interference that separates the two from being together. Throughout Luhrmann’s film, symbolistic costumes are worn