William Shakespeare wrote the play 'Romeo and Juliet' in 1595 and a director called Baz Luhrmann gave a modern film interpretation in 1996. The play's main theme is a romantic tragedy with the central protagonists, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet who are doomed to die.
Both the Montague's and Capulet's are brawling because of their pride and honour within Verona, Italy where the play is set. Shakespeare's presentation of pride and honour within the play is much more apparent than in the film as I believe that in some circumstances he is highlighting how dangerous and pointless honour is, a good example is the death of Mercutio.On the other hand, in the modern interpretation, Luhrmann uses Pride and Honour to distinguish some of the brawling characters like Tybalt. As in most Shakespearian plays, most of the characters have a fatal flaw and in the case of 'Romeo and Juliet', this sin is pride. Shakespeare wrote the prologue in the form of a sonnet.
This would have been announced by a narrator at a theatre over the voices of the audience to give them an insight and quick summary of the play, introducing the themes of love, death, fate, family, conflict and honour between the two households who are 'both alike in dignity'.Shakespeare uses this to set the mood for the opening scene. In Luhrmann's film, the prologue is presented in its entirety to the audience in three mediums. The first we see on a small television screen on which a news report is being relayed. The next, which I feel to be very powerful and captivating to the audience as it shows a mirage of quite strong images of the film's content by means of a breaking news incident, this includes media coverage like the newspaper headlines, two powerful corporations Montague's and Capulet's, explosions and police helicopters.The third prologue uses dramatic music as the fourteen lines of the sonnet flash onto the centre of the screen very quickly, here we are introduced to the gun and gang culture theme of the film.
With Shakespeare's prologue the audience would expect an interesting play to unfold whereas because of the visual aspect of Luhrmann's prologue, I feel that the film presents itself almost as a trailer to a very dramatic and exiting film. We are introduced to Tybalt in Act 1. He is Juliet's cousin, Lady Capulet's nephew and appears to be very loyal to his family especially the women.In short he is a troublemaker, who is very passionate about his family honour and he will stir up a situation to try and provoke a fight by using aggressive and antagonistic methods.
Shakespeare establishes this by writing 'Have at thee, coward'. In Luhrmann's presentation, Act 1 has a spaghetti western feel to it as Wild West show down music is played as soon as Tybalt steps out of the car. I believe that he is very territorial as in the film, when he steps onto the ground, the camera focuses on his feet which could suggest this.His attire portrays him being smart and to be very proud of his religion as his symbolic waistcoat of the Virgin Mary suggests.
I believe this to be ironic due to the spiteful nature of Tybalt. I believe that Manichean imagery is used in this scene as Tybalt is all in black suggesting that he is a villain, he means business. Another symbol of his family pride is the image of the Capulet coat of arms on his guns. The fight in the film from Tybalt's perspective was almost like a ballet as he was dancing around the set and he looked to be enjoying it.At the Capulet ball, Tybalt sees Romeo and insists on fighting him but Capulet, who is the head of the Capulet house, stops him and says that 'he shall be endur'd'.
This really enrages Tybalt that his uncle has not allowed him to have a fight. I can see why Tybalt feels so angry as his own family will not even allow him to fight their enemies. Later on in the scene, Tybalt calms his rage and expresses his thoughts aloud and said that he 'will withdraw, but this intrusion shall now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall' meaning that Tybalt is promising the audience for revenge, the writer here uses a soliloquy.Obsessed by family honour Shakespeare further relays his point to the audience through the character of Tybalt who is obsessive about his family's honour. Capulet who is Tybalt's uncle is more composed and he just tells Tybalt to forget about it. Whereas the film presents Tybalt being overtaken by his honour as he becomes so enraged about the sight of Romeo.
When Tybalt tells his uncle, Capulet slaps him round the face and I feel that this further emphasises his rage.His attire at the ball could suggest that he is the devil as he is wearing red horns and a red waste coat which could symbolise blood. He uses Tybalt's character to emphasise how destructive honour can be when it is taken to the extremes and in Tybalt's case I feel this to be true. Here, Tybalt insists on fighting Benvolio, a Montague and cousin of Romeo, which gives us an insight into his personality.
Mercutio is a good friend of Romeo and has taken the side of the Montagues in the brawling.He goes with Romeo to the Capulet ball where he tries to cheer him up with his 'Queen Mab' speech. The speech gives us a larger insight into the character and his personality as it is full of puns and innuendos to show how intelligent he is. He comes across as a very lively person where Romeo says that he has 'Dancing shoes with nimble soles' which portrays that he could be confused about his sexuality as he dresses as a woman and tries to act like one whilst dancing at the Capulet ball.
Mercutio is full of energy and is always making jokes and teasing other characters.He also antagonises Tybalt when he says that he is the 'King of cats' and a 'Rat-catcher'. His lines are mostly filled with word play even when he is dying when he says 'Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man. ' Mercutio is playing on the double meaning of the word 'grave' as it can mean serious and dead. Mercutio is the first person to die in the play and all his energy suddenly disappears.
As he dies, he says 'a plague o' both your houses' which reminds the audience of how dangerous pride and honour can be.
