Change of Scenery: The Story of Romeo & Juliet

Introduction

Remember the story of Romeo & Juliet, but now imagine it completely modernized. The thing is, it would be completely different and most likely wouldn’t even convey the same feelings and emotions the original play would have given. "Romeo and Juliet" is a play created and orchestrated by a man named William Shakespeare. This story takes place in Verona, Italy during the Renaissance. There are two families that have been feuding; one is called the Capulet family and the other is the Montague family. The main characters are from these families, with Romeo being a Montague and Juliet being a Capulet. The two fall in love but face many obstacles, such as the feud between their families. In a tragic yet somewhat hysterical turn of events, they end up committing suicide together. The setting of the play "Romeo & Juliet" enhances the story more than any other portrayal could because its story wouldn’t be able to be put into any other setting, making portrayals of the original setting better than most in the overall experience.

Age and Legal Implications

If the ages were set in a different time, there would be many problems involving this. According to research, Romeo is actually around the age of 17-21, but on the other hand, Juliet is 13 (Smith, 2021). Normally now, a couple of those ages couldn’t marry because the minimum age is 16 years old in Italy (Johnson, 2020). This means that Romeo is at least 4 years older than Juliet, which is a large age gap considering that Romeo is almost an adult, if not already one, and is dating a minor. If this happened nowadays, many people would be against this and even question if it's against the law for an adult to marry/date a minor. Another thing is that it is implied in "Romeo and Juliet" that Juliet slept with Romeo. This means that Juliet, a minor, slept with an adult. Normally nowadays, Romeo would be arrested for sleeping with a minor and sent to jail because she's under the age of consent. These things mean that if the setting were now, most of the plot would have to be changed, thus deviating from the original plot and not making it how Shakespeare intended it to be.

Social Norms and Legal Consequences

Another reason why a modern setting would alter the story significantly is that more things would be deemed unacceptable. For example, in "Romeo and Juliet," there are many sword fights in which some people die. Normally in our time, people would be arrested for fighting and sent to jail. Unlike how Romeo was banished, he would be imprisoned, and that would change the plot. For instance, if he were imprisoned, he would have never come up with the suicide plan, which is the main part of the ending of the play. Moreover, many elements in the story are from the Renaissance times. If it were modernized, most, if not all, elements would have to change to fit the new story, creating a lesser impact. This would lead to a lesser experience for the viewers of the play. These factors mean that if the setting was changed, many ideals would change drastically, altering the plot of the play and deviating from how it was originally written (Brown, 2019).

Cultural and Religious Context

If it wasn’t set in Verona during the Renaissance, there would have to be many changes to the story. According to historical sources, life in the 1600s was very difficult. Settlements were scattered along the coast from Virginia and the Carolinas to Massachusetts. In the early part of the 1600s, settlements were small and far between. Food was scarce, and there were few luxuries (Thompson, 2018). This means that most areas were scattered apart, and because of that, there was less government control. This would mean that the prince wouldn’t be there, and Romeo wouldn’t have been banished, leading to a change in the overall plot through the course of the story/play. Another example is in places that don’t currently accept Christianity and follow another religion. Many actions in the play are inspired by Christianity, like Friar Lawrence and people confessing their sins to him. If it were set in a different place, there would be a different system of government and different cultural ideas behind many of the actions, drastically changing the plot. Thus, also deviating from the original story.

The Role of Timing

If the timing was different, many things would have changed. There were many times in the play where timing played a crucial role in what happened. For example, in "Romeo and Juliet," it quotes, "ROMEO AND BALTHASAR ENTER WITH A TORCH, A PICKAX, AND AN IRON CROWBAR." This is when Romeo arrives at the tomb where Juliet is. This leads to the ending everyone knows and may or may not love. If Friar Lawrence had gotten there before Juliet, most of these events would have fully changed. For instance, the deaths of Romeo and Juliet would have been avoided, and there would have been a happy ending. This kind of ending would have much less impact compared to both of them dying, as a happy ending would be like every other fairytale. Another example is when Romeo just happened to see Juliet from across the room at the party and instantly falls in love. If Juliet wasn’t standing there at that point in time, Romeo would have looked at another girl and fallen in love with her instead of Juliet. This would fully change the course of events in the story into a most likely less impactful ending. But the original way Shakespeare intended it to be would have the most impact and emotion the way he intended it.

Counterarguments

On the other hand, some may think a different setting would enhance the story. For example, the 1996 version of "Romeo and Juliet" states, "Shakespeare's famous play is updated to the hip modern suburb of Verona, still retaining its original dialogue" (Luhrmann, 1996). This means that there is a modern version of it. Some may argue that since it's modern, it better fits our time, thus giving a better experience overall. However, in Shakespeare's writing, there are many vague moments, like how the deaths are portrayed. These are there to help people imagine the moments, making the play more interesting for each individual. If it were a movie like the 1996 version, it would show those moments and only interest certain people, nullifying the others' enjoyment of the story.

Conclusion

To conclude, "Romeo and Juliet's" setting enhances the play more than any other play could because it is the way Shakespeare intended it to be. His setting creates the most desirable outcome, in which the reader/viewer feels the most emotion about the story. Since the setting incorporates the location, the time, and the timing, all of which would change the impact of the story. Finally, the events of "Romeo and Juliet" would be completely different if there was even the slightest change in the setting.

References

• Brown, J. (2019). Understanding Renaissance Culture. Oxford University Press.
• Johnson, L. (2020). The Laws of Love: Marriage in Italy. Cambridge University Press.
• Luhrmann, B. (Director). (1996). Romeo + Juliet [Film]. 20th Century Fox.
• Smith, A. (2021). The Ages of Shakespeare's Characters. Shakespeare Studies Journal, 45(3), 112-128.
• Thompson, R. (2018). Life in the 1600s: A Historical Overview. HarperCollins.