Romeo and Juliet Compare and Contrast Essay

Nowadays, it is almost impossible to revive old traditions from the past and appreciate them in our modern and exponential times. However, there still are possibilities to cherish some of the archaic literature today that were written so long ago. Celebrated as one of the greatest dramas of all time, Romeo and Juliet depicts a tragedy of two lovers who come from feuding families. The play was first written in the 1500s by William Shakespeare. Almost four-hundred years later, the tragic play was made into a movie in 1968 by Franco Zeffirelli.

There are similarities in props and scenes, and distinctions between the original play and the 1968 movie considering the moods and plot details. Either way, the play and the 1968 movie both have glorious presentations. As for the mood, there a few differences between the two versions of the tragedy. In the dialogue of marriage in the play, Romeo and Juliet are serious and sedate. In Zeffirelli’s version of the play, the marriage scene makes Romeo and Juliet to look almost like fools of young love because they are constantly kissing and giggling.

In a marriage, the bride and groom are to be calm and patient because it is an important step in their lives, and the play shows this kind of character. The movie does not portray this realistic kind of character. During the “funeral” ceremony for Juliet, the Friar Lawrence made a giggle because he already knew about the secret plan. This part destroyed the sad and mischievous mood of the scene. Nevertheless, I believe the play and Zeffirelli’s movie did a great job in explaining the tragedy, but the movie could have been a lot more enticing if it weren’t for those minor slip-ups.

The play also could have used some help because it felt like the characters lacked some expression unlike the movie, but I cannot criticize which one was better because the play is the way it is to be. One thing that the movie and the play collaborated together, were the props and scenes. Full of old-fashioned dresses and rocky buildings, both productions have a very 1500s mood. Aside from the moods of the play, some of the plot details have been left out in both the movie production and the play. The play does a good job of explaining why Romeo was upset with Rosaline.

The movie-viewers are confused up to why Romeo is upset. Besides, if it weren’t for Rosaline, Romeo would never have met Juliet in the first place. I believe the wedding scene in the movie was a good choice, which wasn’t shown in the play. The viewers would be confused at a point when watching the play because they would not know if Romeo and Juliet get married or not. Zeffirelli’s movie shows the marriage scene of Romeo and Juliet which made the plot clearer. One thing that seemed constant and realistic in the movie is the number of deaths in the tragedy.

The play shows the tragedy of six deaths, while the movie shows only four deaths. One of the goals that most movie-makers have in order to make a successful movie is to leave the audience on happy note and not depressed. Unlike from Shakespeare, who wanted to express dramatic, tragic, and young love, Zeffirelli did what was best for the audience and plot of the movie by decreasing the number of deaths in his production. Plus, I do appreciate the fact that the movie actually follows the play, unlike other movie productions of stories. The plot details in the scenes seemed pretty constant overall.

Unable to admire obsolete literature, we often tend to forget the old saying, “old is gold. ” Romeo and Juliet is a tragic play written in the 16th century by William Shakespeare. The tragedy tells a legend about two young lovers who come from long-rivaling families. In 1968, Franco Zeffirelli made this play into a movie, after realizing the beauty of this tragedy. However, there are similarities and difference between the two production like mentioned earlier. Nevertheless, the original play and the 1968 movie tend to be some of the greatest classics to be told.