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Romeo and Juliet vs. West Side Story Comparison The playwrights of Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, even though are separated by centuries, are very similar. In both plays there is love between two enemies. At the end, there is a tragic fate that tears apart the lovers forever.
The only character difference between the plays, is the lover s reaction to the other lover s death. Both plays are considers great works of writing. In both of the plays, a member of one family, or gang, falls in love with another member of an enemy family. In the play West Side Story, Maria, a member of the Sharks, and Tony, a member of a rival gang called the Jets; fall in love at a dance. It was during a mambo that Tony and Maria see each other and begin to dance. This doesn t last long before Maria s brother, Bernardo, breaks them up.
They meet afterward in an alleyway where Tony says, I love you (163), to Maria. Maria then tells Tony that, All the world is only you and me (161). They are then determined to find a way to move beyond the rivalry between gangs to be with each other. This is the same situation that Romeo and Juliet met in.
Romeo and some other members of the Montague family attended a party thrown by an enemy family, the Capulets. When Romeo set eyes on Juliet he was amazed. He asked himself, Did my heart love till now? (42), For I never saw true beauty till this night (42). Later he approached Juliet, and then after speaking with her, they kissed. Later they both found out that they are in love with their sworn enemies. Juliet, at this thought, replies, My only love sprung from my only hate (46).
That same night they meet again at Juliet s balcony. The reaction to their lover s death differs drastically between the plays. When Juliet finds Romeo dead, she decides to take her own life. Juliet wakes in the Capulet tomb to find Romeo s lifeless body on the ground beside her. She notices the small bottle of poison in his hand, and then says to him, Oh churl, drunk all; and left no friendly drop to help me after? (126). After Friar Lawrence leaves the tomb in fear, Juliet grabs Romeo s dagger, and says, This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die (126), she then stabs herself to take her own life.
Maria s reaction to Tony s death is particularly different than this. When Tony hears the false news about Maria s death, he goes out to try and find Chino. While looking for Chino, he sees Maria, in amazement they run towards each other. Before they can reach each other Chino steps forward and fires his gun. Tony was struck in the chest, he falls, and Maria kneels besides him. They sing together, but Tony slowly passes away.
At this sight the gangs start to approach each other to fight, with a sharp voice Maria says, Stay back (223). She then stands up and faces the gangs and yells, We all killed him! (223). Instead of taking her own life, she has shown the gangs how their hate for each other was killing each other. Another similarity between Maria and Juliet, in the plays, is that both girls have a prearranged, and rushed marriage. Juliet s family and her nurse both think that Juliet should start to think of marriage at her age. Lady Capulet and the nurse were talking to Juliet about marriage, when the Lady Capulet tells Juliet that, The valiant Paris seeks you for his love (35).
Paris is known to be a man of wax (35), as once said by the nurse. Even with this reputation Juliet does not wish to marry Paris, her father insists that she does, and he arranged the marriage in a night. Maria s family and brother set her up with Chino, for whom she doesn t really like too much. Anita and Maria are talking to each other in the bridal shop, when Maria complaints about Bernardo s restraints on her.
Maria asks why she was brought to America if she can t do anything. Anita replies, To marry Chino (150). Maria is upset with this, and then she tells Anita when I looks at Chino, nothing happens (150). Both families would like their daughters to marry without having true love. In conclusion, Maria and Juliet are very alike, with few differences. The main differences are the time and atmosphere that they live in.
Juliet lives in the 1600 s with kings and queens. Maria lived in the 1950 s with gangs and prejudice. Still both sought love with their enemy, and both had their love ripped away from them. Both plays are amazingly alike even though they were written with centuries of difference.
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Research essay sample on West Side Story Romeo And Juliet
