Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, and Irving Shulman’s Novelization of Arthur Laurent’s West Side Story are two of the most famous love stories in the world. These two stories are telling us that love can’t be always easy and happy because there also is the hardness of love. Both Romeo and Juliet, and Tony and Maria are from rival families. This is why both stories end in tragic ways. Two stories share a lot of similarities but there are also many differences in conflicts they face, the relationship between characters, and the settings. In West Side Story, they used guns, which is more modernized rather than using only swords Romeo and Juliet.
In Romeo and Juliet and West Side Story, both of the main characters fall in love with the enemy. Romeo and Juliet’s parents (Montague and Capulet) were both rich and royal. They were rivals and hated each other. Romeo was in the family of Montague. However, Juliet was in the family of Capulet. After realizing that his newly found love was of rival blood, “And because ‘Nardo had thought of him as a brother-in-law, ‘Nardo had told him where he kept the gun.?(133) Romeo said, “Tis but thy name that is my enemy. Thou off thyself, through not a Montague…” (Shakespeare 2.2 41~42)

‘Romeo and Juliet?and ‘Tony and Maria?both met when the male main characters (Romeo and Tony) were depressed in feelings and fell in love at the first sight. Romeo was sorrowful, because he didn’t get the answer of love from Rosaline. Romeo has a romantic characteristic, since he only talks and thinks of love. He went to the party with Mercutio and Benvolio by their suggestion. Mercutio was his best friend, and Benvolio was his cousin. They treated Romeo with pity, and tried to give him strength by saying that there are a lot of women in the world. When Romeo first met Juliet at the party of Capulet, he said, “If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand…” (Shakespeare 1.5 104~107) Romeo and Juliet fell in love together, and cried for why they are from hatred families, like they are not meant to be. They even tried to ignore their family names upon their love. In West Side Story, Tony met Maria when he went to the party held at the church. However, after he saw Maria, he fell in love at the first sight, “As if he were being led, Tony Wyzek approached Maria Nunez, looked into her dark eyes, stretched out his hands, and was led by her into another land.?(Shulman 71) At last their loves ended in tragic ways, even though their friends, such as Nurse, Friar Lawrence, and Anita, helped them.




Some topics in this essay:
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