A contrast between Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and the film Essay

A contrast between Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' and the film version directed by Franco Zeffirelli 1968 - Essay Example In the play, Romeo is in the process of recovering after being jilted by Rosaline (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 155). A rejected lover’s instinctive reaction is to find another love as soon as possible, and Romeo does this, becoming amorously involved with Juliet. The movie however does not depict or refer to Rosaline at all, thereby not laying the foundation as to why Romeo became involved with Juliet. The second difference is discernable in the portrayal of the lovers’ mood during the marriage scene. In the play, Romeo and Juliet are both in a serious mood, which is reflected by the way they speak (in Act II, Scene 6, Line 6 Romeo remarks that the Friar’s holy words were solemn enough to join his hand with Juliet’s in marriage. In the same scene {Lines 33/34 (http://www.tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/romeo_juliet/full.html)}, Juliet declares that her love for Romeo has grown so much that she is not able to estimate even half of its rich value). In Zeffirelli’s movie the marriage scene is frivolous, with Romeo and Juliet shown kissing, cuddling and giggling all through it. The third difference is apparent in Juliet’s chamber during her funeral scene. In the play, although the Friar knows that Juliet is in fact not dead, still he maintains a deadpan expression throughout the funeral scene, properly condoling the Capulet family, telling them to dry their tears and prepare to bring Juliet’s body to the church for the last rites to be dispensed (Act IV, Scene 5, Lines 68-86 {http://www.tech.mit.edu/Shakespeare/ romeo_juliet/full.html}). In the movie, the Friar almost lets out the secret that Juliet is not dead by being unable to control a giggle; luckily none of the mourners notices what would seem to them a strange act on the part of the holy man (Zeffirelli, Franco. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet {1968}).† The last difference lies in the final scene when the real funerals of Romeo and Juliet take place. In the play, the Montague and Capulet families bury