Titanic vs. Romeo and Juliet - Essay Example

?Titanic vs. Romeo and Juliet Over the years, there have been comparisons between Titanic and, Romeo and Juliet. Some have ventured to say that Titanic is sadder than Romeo and Juliet, while there are others who disagree and favour the latter. This debate, although not in public has occurred in the hearts of people who have been privileged to watch both movies. But is the debate as to which movie is sadder, worth considering? Can a conclusion be made as to which one is sadder? And even if a conclusion can be made, what will be the criteria? These are some of the questions that people have had to confront. Titanic indeed is a sad movie that was based on a true event. In this movie, we see a massive Ship that was considered the biggest and most luxurious Ship of its time. Some even ventured to suggest that it was unsinkable. As we unfold the life of this great Ship, we are met with awe and wonder. It was adorned with the finest precious stones of its day. Gold was lavishly used, as if it grew from trees. The china was decorated with Gold, Silver, and other precious stones. Its audience was of the highest order, for only the richest and most famous were granted the privilege of using its vicinity. As the Ship entered its voyage across the Atlantic Ocean to New York, it treaded so smoothly that its beholders were tempted to suggest that the gods had placed a special favour upon it. The voyage was very long, and hence, the crew prepared and carried all the things that the people would need, for the Ship had to live up to its reputation of being the finest Ship that ever graced the waters of planet earth. Singing, dancing, gambling, games, and all sorts of entertainment could be seen in the vicinities of this hallowed Ship. Then it happened, that incident that forever changed the life of this Ship, and afterwards the hearts of people across the world. As the Ship was proudly gliding across the black and icy cold waters, it met its greatest challenge, an ice-berg. Some say, it was placed there by the Devil, and some say, it was placed there by God to humble the pride of man. Nonetheless, the truth was clear; the Ship was in trouble, and as a result, the people within it. It struck an ice-berg, and almost all of the people inside it perished. Hollywood producers captivated by the reaction that this incident caused, were inspired to make a movie out of it. In the movie, they inserted a sad story of two lovers. In the story, the lovers Jack and Rose were in a forbidden affair. Current norm did not allow Jack, a peasant, to get into a relationship with Rose, a daughter of a rich and famous man. And to make it worse, Rose was engaged to another man. But surprisingly, all this did not discourage Jack. He was determined to be with Rose for the rest of his life. Hence he met problems from Rose’s fiancee who suspected that Rose was falling in love with Jack. This conflict between these two men from different walks of life over the heart of this beautiful lady awoke great interest in the hearts of people across the world. People started cheering for Jack, for he was the underdog, and was also a great charmer. In all this, Rose was caught in the middle, but her heart was swaying slightly to Jacks favour. This continued until Rose was completely in love with Jack, and then it happened. The Ship, as if angry at this union, struck an ice-berg, and the scenes that followed were engraved in the hearts of the world for all time. Everybody in the Ship strived to save his own life. Small boats were searched for as if they were the very source of life. Jack realizing the situation, had only one thing in mind, save Rose and get out of there. This proved a big problem, because by this time, he had been locked downstairs. After a miraculous escape he managed to locate Rose, and together held on to the end of the Ship as it slowly descended down the deathly hallows. Finally the Ship disappeared down the water, and everybody was left fighting for dear life on the icy waters of the Atlantic. Jack, a gentleman, found a plank of wood, and offered it to Rose to lie on it while he freezed in the cold water. After a while, Jack died, but Rose was left alive. Later on rescue boats arrived and Rose was rescued. But sadly, she couldn’t give her heart to any other man again, for it had been taken by Jack down the cold black waters of the Atlantic. This story was forever engraved in the hearts of people across the world. Then there was the love affair of Romeo and Juliet, likewise, they were in a forbidden affair. The parents of each of them were in a bitter feud for a long time. The time came when Romeo married Juliet, but Juliet’s mother was unaware. According to Wikipedia, “Romeo visits his best friend Mercutio and his cousin Benvolio but his good mood is curtailed. Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, starts a verbal quarrel with Romeo, which soon turns into a duel with Mercutio. Romeo tries to stop the fight but it is too late: Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo, enraged, retaliates by killing Tybalt. Once Romeo realizes the consequences of his actions, he hides at Friar Lawrence’s cell.” Romeo then learns that he will be killed if he tarries longer. He is influenced by the Friar to spend the night with Juliet and then run away the next day. Meanwhile Juliet’s mother arranges a marriage between her and Paris. But Juliet is not pleased with this decision because her heart is with Romeo. “Juliet asks Friar Lawrence for advice, insisting she would rather die than marry Paris. Fr. Lawrence gives Juliet a potion which will make her appear dead and tells her to take it the night before the wedding. He promises to send word to Romeo - intending the two lovers be reunited in the Capulet vault. Juliet drinks the potion and everybody assumes that she is dead — including Balthasar, who immediately tells Romeo.” (Wikipedia) “Friar Lawrence’s letter fails to reach Romeo, so he assumes that his wife is dead. He rushes to Juliet’s tomb and, in deep grief, drinks a vial of poison. Moments later, Juliet wakes to find Romeo dead and kills herself due to grief. Once the families discover what happened, they finally end their bitter feud. Thus the youngsters' deaths bring the families together. Romeo and Juliet is a true tragedy in the literary sense because the families gather sufficient self-knowledge to correct their behaviour but not until it is too late to save the situation.” (Wikipedia) This sad story, made into a play also touched the hearts of the whole world. People gave sympathy to the fate of the two lovers. They were so close to being together, if only Romeo had waited a bit longer. Indeed it’s a sad ending to two hearts that were meant to be together. This two stories, Titanic, and Romeo and Juliet, stand out across time as the saddest stories ever showed on film, only outrivaled by the story of Jesus and His great love for the world. In my opinion I would like to suggest that, Titanic is much sadder than Romeo and Juliet. This is because, in Titanic, Jack had to go through a lot, to be with Rose, and he never even got the privilege of marrying her. Romeo, on the other hand, was better off because he married Juliet, and despite the fact that they both died, at least they died in the same place. Furthermore, Juliet didn’t have to live with the pain of losing Romeo as Rose had to when she lost Jack. Rose lived the rest of her life imagining what it could have been. Therefore I would like to suggest that Titanic was much sadder than Romeo and Juliet. Nonetheless, no hearts that are so meant to be together like this two sets of lovers, should ever meet such a horrific ending. Works Cited: Wikipedia. (2011) “Romeo and Juliet” Retrieved from: (12 August 2010) Read More