English

Mrs Cameron's Engish class - Romeo & Juliet

Mrs Cameron’s Year 10 Pop Culture class are working on writing an analytical essay looking at how Baz Luhrmann’s film of Romeo and Juliet uses pop culture to tell this story.

Here are some snippets from their essays:

Arashdeep:

The most influential cause of the tragedy was that the two families of Verona, the Montagues and Capulets were fiercely feuding. When we first see the Montagues and Capulets, they’re at the petrol station fighting with guns. They end up blowing the petrol station up. This is using a modern scene to show their feud.

Taj:

Friar Lawrence is the priest in Romeo & Juliet. He appears easy going, by wearing floral unbuttoned shirts. The huge cross tattoo on his back represents Christianity. Friar Lawrence says

 “In one respect ill thy assistant be; For this alliance may so happy prove to turn your household’s rancour to pure love.” Act 2 Scene 3 Line 90.

In Shakespearian language he’s meaning he’ll help with the secret wedding if it will stop the violence between the Capulets and the Montagues.

Ethan:

Baz Luhrmann was also creative in using movie stereotypes to demonstrate the personalities of certain characters, or just to demonstrate how you should perceive these characters for this movie. For example, at the ball, Tybalt wore a devil’s outfit so the audience understood that the story would like you to believe that he is evil incarnate.

Bailey R:

The Montagues went to a petrol station to get some gas, but as soon as they turned up, the Capulets arrived and they were verbally abusing each other straight away. After a Montague bites his thumb at Tybalt, a Capulet, Tybalt gets really mad. Benvolio, a Montague, asks for peace but Tybalt says “…..Peace? I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.”

They feud every time they see each other. If the families had not been feuding, Romeo and Juliet’s love would have not been doomed.

Bailey W:

Baz Luhrmann also used modern day costume and fancy dressed costume to help us understand the characters and their motives and personalities.  Tybalt was dressed as a devil to show that he is the bad person. Romeo was dressed as a knight because he was Juliet’s knight in shining armour. In addition, Juliet was dressed as an angel because that is how Romeo sees her.

“O speak again, bright angel ….” Act 2 Scene 2 line 26.

Count Paris was dressed as a futuristic astronaut because they had referred to him as Juliet’s future husband. This is how Baz Luhrmann used costumes to show the character’s personalities.

Sam D:

Baz Luhrmann revamped the classic story of Romeo and Juliet by placing it in the modern times and you can see the modern touches in the movie. He also did a great job at showing all the things that brought Romeo and Juliet to their fate which I think he did a good job at.

At the start of the movie there was a massive fight between Montagues and Capulets at a petrol station which involved the police and seemed to be a normal thing that happens all the time which showed that they were in a deep feud.