Compare the presentation of your chosen character in the play with the presentation of the same character in an adaptation of the play Essay Example For Students

Compare the presentation of your chosen character in the play with the presentation of the same character in an adaptation of the play Essay William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy exploring the themes of love, loyalty and animosity revolving around two main characters Romeo, from the Montague family and Juliet, from the Capulet family. In the play, Shakespeare uses many poetic techniques to present the different stages of all these themes and to widen the audiences perception of the main characters themselves. There have been many different versions of the play; however this essay will focus particularly on Baz Luhrmanns 1996 film adaptation and compare the characterisation of Romeo with the same character in the original play. In Act 1 Scene 5 of the play, Romeo attends a masquerade ball held by the Capulet family. He is represented as being love struck and a hopeless romantic during his first glimpse of Juliet. The phrase Beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear: demonstrates that he believes she is too good for the Earth itself and ought to be in heaven with the angels. Shakespeare uses iambic pentameter to make the phrase flow together and also a rhyming scheme to show that Romeo is from a well-educated and aristocratic family. The use of the word rich shows that Romeo believes she is valuable and compares her to that of a possession which demonstrates the time period in which it was written in as it was Patriarchal society. Shakespeare uses hyperboles to further emphasise the fact that Romeo is profoundly in love with Juliet and displays that he is idealistic and passionate about her. The use of dramatic irony in the phrase also creates sympathy for Romeo and shows him in a naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve way as he describes Juliet as if she should be in heaven which from the audience perspective is ironic as they know that both Romeo and Juliet will die together because of their passion and love for each other. In the film version, Juliet is also seen to have a profound effect on Romeo during their first meeting however Baz Luhrmann has amplified this for the purposes of the film. He shows Romeo as intrigued and open to Juliet, though also indicates his naivety to the audience. Romeos first sight of Juliet is through a fish tank as he sees her eye. This has connotations of romance and mystery as he does not know what is on the other side of the tank and it is said that eyes provide entry to the soul. It also demonstrates that Romeo is interested in what he sees as he does not attempt to move away from the fish tank throughout the shot. No words are exchanged during the two characters in this section to illustrate the immediate connection they have towards each other. Romeo wore a knights costume to show to the audience that he is Juliets knight in shining armour and will save her. Baz Luhrmann chose to have Romeo see Juliet through a fish tank as it expresses Romeos desire for freedom from the restrictions of his family as he sees that the fish are not controlled in the tank, however the tank also expresses the fact that he is naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve and mistaken as he does not see that the fish are trapped in the dimensions of the tank itself and cannot escape. The shot is split in half, with a partial view of Romeo in one side and the fish tank in the other. This represents Romeos reality side versus his dreams and imagination and demonstrates that he is torn between the two sides. Prior to this, Romeo is seen removing his mask and throwing it in the water, which symbolises that he is taking off his disguise and is getting rid of his identity as a Montague. The water has connotations of cleansing and starting over which relates to Romeo as he wants to start afresh. The significance of this is very important to Romeos characterisation as it shows him as rebellious and disobedient towards both his family, as he is wishes not be a Montague any longer, and towards the social aspects of the party as it is a masquerade ball therefore by revealing his identity he is in breach of the social protocols. He is also causing himself danger as being part of the Montague family; he is enemies with the Capulets. Evil has always been in everyone's lives EssayHowever in the film adaptation, Baz Luhrmann chooses not to include the beginning of Act 5 Scene 3 from the play, when Romeo meets and slays Paris, to make the audience concentrate more on Romeo and his following actions. He is seen as desperate and not thinking straight, this is shown when Romeo enters the church after a chase scene with the police. Luhrmann uses intertextuality from an action and crime scene film in the shot to modernise the play and make it more appealing to viewers. Romeo being part of a chase scene demonstrates that he is determined to get to Juliet and would not let anyone get in his way, however also illustrates that he is not aware of the consequences of his actions towards both himself and others. The producer uses an aerial shot to film the scene as it gives the audience a full overhead view and also reinforces the intertextuality in the scene. Luhrmann decides to place Juliets body in a church surrounded by hundreds of burning candles compared with that of the tomb in Shakespeares original play to emphasise the link between religion and the two main characters in the film. A panning shot was used to show Juliets body to emphasise the shock of what Romeo witnesses in the church. In this scene Romeo and Juliet are alone which displays that to Romeo, Juliet was the only person that mattered to him. Overall both William Shakespeare and Baz Luhrmann use specific techniques to represent Romeo through many different emotional stages, however the ways in which they communicate these attitudes differ throughout both the play and adaptation. Baz Luhrmann chooses to use many contemporary techniques via costume, props and filming methods to update the play and make Romeo seem more modernised, whereas William Shakespeare portrays Romeo through language techniques such as soliloquys and sonnets to emphasise his romantic side and show that his love is not just skin deep. Both types of techniques are very effective in the characterisation of Romeo to the audience and are able to communicate the depth of feeling and emotion from his point of view.