All you need is love. Essay Example For Students

All you need is love. Essay The Beatles wrote this in the 1960s but they certainly were not the first to think it. Shakespeares tragedy Romeo and Juliet was based around this sentiment. It is a story of love, passion, romance, betrayal, life and of course, death. In the late 1990s Baz Luhrmann produced one of the most controversial interpretations of a Shakespeare play. He shot it in modern costume with modern settings, though he kept the original text. Using Verona Beach, Los Angles as his setting and Leonardo DiCaprio as his leading man, Luhrmann made it into a Hollywood movie and one of the biggest blockbuster hits of the 90s. However 20 years earlier Franco Zephirelli had shot his classic interpretation of the film-using period costume. This film follows the script fairly closely and is close to how Shakespeare would have had it performed. Even stage productions of the classic tragedy have been updated. Not long ago the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford put on a modern interpretation, which was apparently much like the 1970s cult film Grease centring around fast cars and leather jackets. The RSC production that our class saw was much closer to an original Shakespeare production: however it was of poor quality, many of our girls feeling that they could have acted the parts more convincingly themselves. The characters of the play are complex: they blossom and unveil themselves throughout the play; first impressions are not always right. Juliet Capulet, the only child of Lord and Lady Capulet, whose rivalry with the Montague family has been alive as long as the families have been, begins the play as an innocent young girl. She is very child like, obeying her parents. Her loyalties lie with her family. In the first scene we meet her, she is with the nurse. The nurse and Juliet are firm friends, the nurse having had more input into Juliets upbringing than her mother Lady Capulet. The nurse is very crude and talks about an amusing incident that happened when Juliet was just two years old. Yea, quoth my husband, fallst upon thy face Thou wilt fall backward when thou comest of age, Wilt thou not Jule? it stinted, and said Aye. She talks far too much repeating the story three times until Lady Capulet tells her to be quiet. Juliet is not yet fourteen but is called by her mother to talk about marriage. When asked for her view on it she replies in an obedient way. It is an honour that I dream not of. She regards marriage as sacred, something that she is not worthy of, suggesting that she might not be ready for it. The nurse wants the best for Juliet, as does Lady Capulet, they seem to decide Juliets fate with Paris for her. She is barely consulted in the conversation. In Zeffirrellis film Juliet sits quietly and patiently at the nurses side, laughing at some comments but generally being dutiful and sweet. The RSC production was much the same. Lady Capulet asks Juliet if she thinks well of Pariss like of her. The reply follows, Ill look to like if looking liking move. But no more deep will I edart that eye Than your consent gives strength to make it fly. Juliet wants to do things with her parents consent, certainly not before consulting them, she wants to please. Mercutio is introduced to us as the flamboyant friend of Romeo and the other Montagues. Our biggest clue into his personality is his name, which is derived from the word mercurial meaning changeable. In Luhrmanns film Mercutio is black. He first appears in Drag and high on ecstasy or some such drug. The Queen Mab speech is delivered in an almost paranoid style, Mercutio becoming increasingly angered it becomes obvious that he has been hurt by love. He begins by talking about the intricate detail on Queen Mabs coach Her wagon spokes like long spinners legs, The cover of the wings of grasshoppers, Her traces of the smallest spiders web. He then goes on to describe the dreams that Mab creates in the minds of all kinds of sleepers. Oer lawyers fingers, who strait dream of fees, Oer ladys lips, who straight on kisses dream. At this stage ideas are innocent and the dreams fairly acceptable. Mercutio then goes on to describe the more sinister, uncouth dreams that this mystical fairy queen creature creates. Sometimes she driveth oer a soldiers neck, And then he dreams of cutting foreign throats. This is the hag when maids lie on their backs Making them women of good carriage. Mercutio does not believe in love and regards dreams of this kind as nothing but idle fantasies. We dont know if this is because he has been hurt in the past or if he has never believed in love. He is angered at Romeos selfish behaviour and his moaning about Rosalind; Mercutio feels that Romeo is wasting his time on women. He seems almost jealous. Romeo and Mercutio are very close and not long before Mercutio dies, Tybalt says Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo. This suggests to us that Romeo and Mercutio were mocked for being such close friends and that their relationship may have been something more. In the Luhrmann film when the Montagues arrive at the party, Mercutio gets the party started, standing in the limelight, singing, dancing, being wild and generally playing the fool. I think these two extremes portray Mercutios very flippant character, however the fact that he is on drugs does detract slightly from the point. I think that Lurhmann used the drug taking to mirror the effects that love can have; a raised temperature, fast heartbeat and loss of control. Love can drive people mad. It is well documented that Love is the greatest drug of all. At the party Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. They are both quite clearly infatuated, besotted with each other. In Luhrmanns film he shows the long lingering feelings with smouldering looks through a dream-like fish tank. Glorious music plays in the background and the immediate passion is clear. As the two have their first kiss Juliet makes religious references glorifying and elevating her new found emotion love. Ay, pilgrims lips that they must use in prayer. These moments mean a lot to Juliet: this is her first kiss, she is only thirteen and her hormones and emotions would be raging. Some of the things that she says after discovering that Romeo is a Montague lead me to believe that she is almost naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve to the complexity of emotions. She refers to him as her love after just a few moments in his company. Dramatic and Important To the Play EssayBut fettle your fine joints gainst Thursday next, To go with Paris to Saint Peters Church, Or I will drag the on a hurdle thither. Out, you Green-sickness carrion! Out you baggage! You Tallow-face! The nurse flew to Juliets defence when he tried to hit her, only to outrage him further and be knocked back herself. Capulet threatens to disown Juliet if she did not obey him. In the Franco Zeffirrelli film, Lady Capulet leaves early on in the argument, I think that maybe she was pressured into marrying Lord Capulet herself and feels that although she cannot defy her husband and defend Juliet, she also cannot aid Capulets rage. After the fight Juliet seeks comfort in the nurse who tells her that she should forget Romeo and marry Paris. O, hes a lovely gentleman! Romeos a dishclout to him. An eagle Madam, Hath not so green, so quick so fair an eye As Paris hath. In Luhrmanns film Juliet looks completely shocked by this comment and swears that she will never trust the nurse again, she is alone now and has no one to console her, in sheer desperation she flees to friar Lawrences cell seeking his aid. Zeffirrelli shows her completely distraught by this time she throws herself on the ground before his altar. She collects a poison from him that will send her into an un-wakeable sleep, before she takes it Juliet visits her farther and begs for his forgiveness, promising never to defy him in future. He decides that she shall be married the next day. In both the films the next scenes are pictured in Juliets bedroom, she is now truly alone, fighting her own mind over the poison, facing all of her fears, showing her real, honest love for Romeo. She states that if the potion does not work and she awakes the following morning, she would rather kill herself with a dagger than go ahead with the wedding plans. Shall I be married then tomorrow morning? No, no, this shall forbid it; lie thou there. This is completely defying her fathers wishes. Would the obedient Juliet that we meet in the first scenes be this scheming? These minutes are the most difficult of Juliets life, her mind filling with fearful thoughts; questions start to stifle her rational thought. What if it be a poison which the Friar Subtly hath ministered to have me dead Shall I not be then stifled in the vault, To whose foul mouth no healthsome air breathes in, O, if I wake shall I not be distraught, Environà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d with all these hideous fears, Her bravery prevails through all these dismal thoughts and she drinks the potion in Romeos name. The next morning the nurse finds the dead Juliet, she is very dramatic, wailing and shouting, rousing the whole house. Capulet rushes in to see Juliet for himself, he sees her as a precious life, a beautiful, delicate little girl. He describes her: Death lies on her like an untimely frost Upon the sweetest flower in the field. Lady Capulet is very distressed and shows the most emotion for Juliet that she has in all of the play. It seems to take Juliet dying for her to display her true feelings for Juliet. O me, O me, my child, my only life! Revive, look up, or I will die with thee. Zeffirrelli showed the tomb of the Capulets as an underground vault, the other bodies from the family are laid out on plinths around the room the room is stone, stark and cold. Romeo fights and kills Paris outside, in order to gain entry into the tomb upon finding Juliet he falls to the floor beside her, talking of how death wanted her as lover. To prevent that and to join her in death, he drinks the poison. The friar enters at this moment, just as Juliet begins to wake; he cannot console her when she sees Romeo and Paris both dead next to her Juliet is hysterical. She will not leave with him out of the vault. Instead she continues to cry loudly (and unconvincingly) throwing herself on Romeo, sobbing and sniffing as she goes. Juliet finds a cup in Romeos hand and complains that he has not left her any poison to die with. She finds his dagger in its sheath and stabs herself with it; she dies over Romeos Body. Yea, noise? Then Ill be brief. O happy dagger, This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die. In the modern Luhrmann film Juliet is in a church, the church is very lavishly decorated, to show the money of the Capulets. It is very over-the-top, at the end of each pew shines a neon cross, thousands of tiny candles surround Juliet, she looks peaceful where she lays. The moments that Romeo spends with Juliet are beautiful. Outside helicopters fly overhead and police surround the church with their guns, but inside it is tranquil and the fact that the lovers are in a church elevates their love. DiCaprio acts the part well; more convincingly so than the Zeffirrelli actor, he is emotional, tears streaming down his face. He becomes more and more choked up with every word he says. As he takes the poison Juliet begins to wake and they share a moment of sheer disbelief before he dies. Juliet then realises what has happened and takes the gun out of its holder. She does not say much as she does this, few words are needed to explain her actions. She shoots herself, falling over Romeo in a l ast display of affection. The families decide on finding the lovers dead that the feud has gone on long enough, Capulet and Montague shake hands and the families find themselves at peace. The two die with each other, for each other. It is the ultimate gift or sacrifice that can be made for the one you love. I dont know how relevant the story would be today even though the lovers are immortalised in words and film. The age of Romeo and Juliet does give me doubts about the strength of the bonds and the love between the two in the early scenes of the play. However as the feelings deepen and the actions become more irrational, I realise that they are definitely in love. Their relationship is honest, equal and true. I dont know how many people would say nowadays that they would die for their partner, but we must remember this tragedy is fictional; it was written in a much simpler world. Whichever way I look at it though, Romeo and Juliet are the original lovers and will be so until love itself dies.