IDENTIFY AND DISCUSS THE PREDOMINANT THEMES OF ROMEO AND JULIET
Introduction
Kenneth Branagh’s, 2016 play, presents Romeo & Juliet in a brilliantly new and expressionistic manner. The play starts with an assumption that live cannot exist without hate, and according to the many critics this indeed does not signify two opposites but the notion becomes merely depicted as two sides of a coin (Rowe, 2008). The opposite of this peculiar union is exactly the opposite of love and hatred, which is known as indifference. Indifference perhaps is the theme less explored in the play since Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet comes with the notion of fate and its tragically beautiful expression. The play touches upon three main themes, although the primary one is Romeo and Juliet’s inability to control their fate, as soon as their young lives become intertwined and doomed to fate.
One of the main themes in Romeo & Juliet play was fate. The play starts with the prologue “A pair of star-crossed lovers” referring to the both lovers Romeo & Juliet. The prologue continues as “will take their life”, in which Shakespeare demonstrates that Romeo and Juliet are going to harm themselves. Their fate crosses and they meet at the masked ball in Lord Capulet`s mansion, where Romeo attends, too. At the Kenneth Branagh’s, 2016 play, Kenneth wanted to show how Romeo falls in love with Juliet at the party, in a catchy and different way. Kenneth achieves it with making Juliet sing at the masked ball. Romeo successfully persuades Juliet and therefore they kiss each other, which was Juliet`s first kiss. The nurse interrupts eventually and sends Juliet away. Further evidence of the theme of fate in this production of the play is the atmosphere in the scene such as the dark lightening and the melancholic music was set to emphasize the upcoming massacre to the audience. The death of Tybalt, at the duel scene of the play, the music at the background did prepare the audience for the upcoming death. Which shows that in the production Branagh tried to emphasize the audience with the theme of fate, and how it can be cruel? Throughout the play, Romeo and Juliet are seen to be having no control over their fate, as since beginning their fate was doomed. Moreover, Capulets and Montagues, who held an ancient grudge from a long time ago, but at the last they were meant to be together. Yet even Branagh tried to emphasize the fate to the audience it was not successful enough. Kenneth tried to make the performance in a fun way with making nurse and peter look silly, as a result the audience did not depict the cruel fate of Romeo and Juliet.
The following night of the masked ball Juliet asks the nurse about Romeo, “The only son of your great enemy.” Act1 Scene 5 line 135, Nurse says, Juliet feels a break down and uses this line “My only love sprung from my only hate!” Act1 Scene 5 line 140. This quote is one of another evidence of another major theme in the play. Love and Hate. At the same time in Branagh`s production of the play there are reliable evidences as well. Lord Capulet`s love to her daughter at the beginning of the play, He describes her daughter as “She`s the hopeful lady of my earth” 1.2.15, but furthermore in to the Branagh`s production when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Lord Capulet insists by using physical force against his daughter which appeared to audience that he was trying to rape his own daughter. “Disobedient wrench”, Lord Capulet asserted Juliet which surprised the audience. Juliet`s relation with the nurse does includes love and hate at the same time as well. While she waits for the nurse to come back with news from Romeo, she talks about the nurse “Old folks, many feign as they were dead, Unwieldy, slow, heavy, and pale as lead.” Act2, Scene5 line15 when the nurse enters her instantly changes her behavior and says “O god, she comes O honey Nurse, What news” Juliet`s behaviors is another evidence of the love and hate theme in the play. Tybalt`s love towards his family and towards their “case” against the Montague family, do shows that love do brings hate with itself. While loving someone one needs to protect them with hate. There are numerous contrasts present in the play, for example, Shakespeare’s language that uses oxymoron “fiend angelical” to strongly suggest Juliet’s contradictory feelings to Romeo. Also, the opposition is reflected by darkness and light, especially in the balcony scenes that suggest sunlight and darkness as the governing themes throughout the young people’s lives (Jackson, 2000). Moving on to another major theme displayed in the play and in the production as well-the passionate unstoppable nature of love. The first evidence of this passionate love is at the Branagh`s production is during the masked ball scene, where Branagh made Juliet sign, both lovers fall in love with each other at the first sight. Juliet stuttered and struggled to sign the song, because of Juliet`s passion for Romeo. As Lily James described her favorite line of the play as “My bounty is as boundless as the sea,”2.2.133 Emphasizes Juliet`s love to the endless sea but as James mentioned “The image of the ocean is so beautiful and primal but I also think there is a lot of fear in that image, the unknown depth of passion surrender to another person” Lily James Another evidence of passionate love in the production was Tybalt`s passion towards his family and towards their “case”. When Tybalt saw Romeo at the ball he raged and tried to fight with him, but his uncle, Lord Capulet, held him back. Throughout the whole production most of Tybalt`s scenes included rage or anger which is caused by his passionate love towards his family and their “case”. Ansu Kabia did deliver a compelling performance, Tybalt was from the outset; full of hate and passionate about his “case” and about his enemies.
All in all, these three predominant themes were portrayed in such a manner that it not only makes it easier for the audience to understand, but could also relate to the experiences that happen in our everyday lives. To conclude, Kenneth Branagh`s production evidences a brilliant play of Juliet`s different behaviors that indicate her strong feelings of the love and hate. Tybalt`s love and the “case” of the Montague family, shows that love eventually may bring hate that lasts ceaselessly. Also, the conclusion comes all by itself and symbolizes that to love deeply and selflessly, one needs to protect the love with hate. Thus, another major theme clearly stated in the play and in the production as well was the passionate and unstoppable nature of the love itself. True love is able to break the highest barriers and the fiercest obstacles to unearth the peace in the longing hearts, like Romeo and Juliet’s.
References
Stone, P. (2011). The Romeo and Juliet code. New York: Arthur A.levine Books.
Jackson, R. (2000). Brawling love and loving hate. Oxford World Classics.
Rowe, D. (2008). Love and hatred in Romeo and Juliet. Royal Shakespeare Company.
Dawson, A., B. (2002). "International Shakespeare". In Wells, Stanley; Stanton, Sarah. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Stage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 174–193.
Howard, T. (2000). "Shakespeare's cinematic offshoots". In Jackson, Russell. The Cambridge Companion to Shakespeare on Film. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 295–313.
