1. Romeo and Juliet
Modern Adaptations

2. The Story Setting: Verona, Italy Montagues and Capulets
Feuding families - rivals for power
Similar to the Medici family and their rivals from the Renaissance time period.
Juliet - does not want an arranged marriage
Romeo - trying to get over his unrequited love
They meet, fall in love at first sight, and secretly marry the next day
Romeo is thrown out of the city for killing Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, in a duel.
To avoid arranged marriage, Juliet fakes her death with a poison
Romeo believes she is dead, and poisons himself to death
Juliet wakes, finds Romeo dead, and stabs herself to death
The families end the feud after the tragedy.
The Story

3. Adaptations
1998
2011
1968
2013
1996
2011

4. West Side Story
1957 Broadway musical (and 1961 film) based on Romeo and Juliet.
Set in ’s New York City.
Created as a plea for tolerance in the face of gang violence.
The Sharks and the Jets are warring gangs in the film.
Mirrored high tensions and violence between Puerto Rican gangs and others at that time in New York.
“West Side Story: Making of a Classic”:
Almost did not get made, since the script was rejected many times.
The creators used nonsense “slang” so the show would not sound dated after a few years.