Shakespeare in love and Romeo and juliet - Movie Review Example

In this way, Will-as he is referred to throughout the film-becomes less of a historical figure and more of a literary character in his own right; Stoppard has created a Romeo with wisdom, showing the audience what might have happened to the tragic lovers had they been less rash. Although Will is fresh faced and handsome like his counterpart, Romeo, he also has maturity and the ability to think things through. Essentially, although many parallels exist between the works, each positive and negative turn of events in Shakespeare in Love speaks to responsibility and sacrifice for the greater good rather than the impulsiveness and selfishness of youth.

In the original play, Romeo and Juliet, it is love at first site, with the two falling in love upon first meeting and marrying soon after. Although Romeo woos her with beautiful words, it is clear that attraction is rooted in the chemistry they feel upon meeting more than anything else. Their families are locked in a perpetual feud and Juliet is betrothed to another man, which makes their love forbidden. This of course makes the affair more exciting but more complicated as well. When Romeo is banished for murder, Juliet concocts a plan to fake her own death but Romeo is never informed of it and kills himself in grief.

Waking to find him dead, Juliet kills herself and their families are left to deal the fall out from their deaths. We are left to believe that they agree to restore peace among them.Shakespeare in Love, on the other hand, related the story of a young noble woman who falls in love first with Will's poetry, his ability to use words to paint pictures and invoke deep emotions. Many of these words are used within the film, creating a play within a play. Rather than create a direct parallel, wherein all of the elements follow a recognizable predetermined path based upon the play, Stoppard chooses to sprinkle these elements throughout the action.

The feud, for example, is not between the families of the lovers for example, but between two play houses-The Rose and The Curtain-and their playwrights-Marlowe and Shakespeare. However, the death of Marlowe and the shutting down of The Rose sparks a truce between the two houses. "Will Shakespeare has a play. I have a theatre," (Stoppard) says the owner, Burbage, when he offers his stage to the now defunct players.Loss brings together these warring groups, just as it did in Romeo and Juliet; however the lesson here is greater.

When both children are dead, a truce serves only to prevent further bloodshed. It will not bring these children back nor allow them to enjoy the peace that their deaths have brought. It is a bittersweet victory. However, when the two play houses form a truce, they are both elevated beyond their previous quality, producing a play worthy of the Queen's approval and praise as one that is able to truly demonstrate love.This diversion from the play serves to move the action forward by giving the play a stage, it provides everyone involved with some measure of success, and one could learn a lesson in cooperation-if they were so inclined-as neither party could have reaped the rewards on their own, our lovers Will and Viola included.

Another parallel between the plays is the morning after the lovers have first consummated their love affair and are torn from each other by the quickly approaching