West Side Story And Romeo And Juliet Film Studies Essay

West facial expression boloney And Romeo And Juliet germinate Studies EssayWest incline level is an American musical written by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and choreography by Jerome Robbins. It is give lingua to to be a rendition of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet call for a number of similarities and differences in many ways. The play, Romeo and Juliet, is set in Verona in ab off 1594. In contrast, West Side Story takes place in New York City in 1957. Most of the characters in West Side Story can be seen as a modernized interlingual rendition of many characters in Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet. Tony can be seen as Romeo, Maria as Juliet, The Jets as Montagues, The Sharks as Capulets, Anita as the Nurse, Riff as Mercutio, Bernardo as Tybalt, atomic number 101 as both Friar Laurence and Balthasar, Chino as Paris, The Police as Prince, Anybodys and fumble John as Benvolio. Many scenes in West S ide Story and Romeo and Juliet have very close parallels liaison. The foe between the gangs at the low gear of West Side Story can be seen as a parallel to the 3rd civil brawl scene in Romeo and Juliet, bound at the gym as party at the Capulet house, fire race scene as balcony scene, mock wedding at the bridal make as wedding at Friar Laurences cell, rumble underneath the bridge deck as duels between Mercutio, Tybalt and Romeo, and Anitas mock rape scene as harbour abandons Juliet by urging her to marry Paris. In addition to the similar connection between the characters and the scene, the theme of male dominate patriarchal society appears to be one of the major theme throughout both plays.Romeo and Juliet has been criticized by many critics as having strong gender roles. According to an article written by Professor Jeanne Gerlach, Professor Rudolph Almasy, and Professor Rebecca Daniel, the workforce are expect to guard themselves with love and pride. Anything the man or t he head of the family wanted would be vomit up into motion as soon as he finished precept the words. In contrast, a womans typical role and characteristic of that time occlusion was weak, subservient, invariably holding her words when it came to decision making, and be obedience to the hubby and father.At the beginning of Romeo and Juliet when one of the Capulets servants, Sampson said, And therefore wo custody, being the weaker vessels, are invariably thrust to the wall therefore I will push Montagues men from the wall, and thrust his maids to the wall.(I, 1, 15) These words from Sampson is further reinforcing a typical stereotypical spiritual rebirth thinking which suggests that women are weaker in physically, emotionally, intellectually and morally in constitution and they exist for male sexual gratification only. Similar, such thinking on woman can also be found at a parallel scene in West Side Story during the confrontation between the Jets and Sharks at the beginning. After the character, Anybody, express her interest in connexion the gang and that she could fight as good and strong as the men does to Riff, one of the Jets wannabes start making fun of her sexually or mocks her undesirability past Riff sends her away by telling her to beat it. such(prenominal) implement done by the Jets also further reinforcing the stereotypical thinking and inconsistency between the man and the woman.A nonher example of how Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story further reinforcing genders roles within the male dominate society can be seen in the rumble between the Sharks and the Jets underneath the bridge scene. After the Rumble, Anybodys compensate to act as Tonys unofficial protector. Even though she was not physically present during the rumble between the Sharks and the Jets, she seems to be lurking in and out from shadow and only appear as the most useful soul or tool when the man, Tony in the scene, in urgent need of her to avail rescue him from the po lice after all the other Jets fled the scene without him. In fact, she refuses to leave without him by repeatedly shouting Come on, Tony until he escapes with her. much(prenominal) action perform by Anybody could be seen as a living on gender roles. A woman, the wife or daughter, should remain patriotic and obedience to the man, husband or father, crimson if everyone else are not doing the same. Such loyalty that the society is seeking the woman should have also appeared in the scene where Juliet learns the news that Romeo has killed her cousin from the nurse. Nurse Will you speak substantially of him that killd your cousin Juliet Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband? Ah, poor my lord, what tongue shall smooth thy name when I, thy three-hour wife, have mangled it? (III, 2, 105) Juliet is showing her loyalty to her husband, Romeo, even when the nurse is blaming Romeo for Tybalts death.In conclusion, both Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story both reinforcing the idea that the womans typical role and characteristic of that time period was weak, subservient, always holding her words when it came to decision making, and be obedience to the husband and father. In contrast, a mans typical roles and characteristic should be masculine and powerful and expected to carry themselves with honor and pride. In Romeo and Julie, Mercutio and Tybalts death were a result of a man defending the mans pride and honor. The death of Bernardo in West Side Story was also a result of the men defending the mens honor and pride. We can see these values that the society put on us being employed in both Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story.