... the opening words of William Shakespeare's ageless tale Romeo and Juliet. Over the years many people have proved the timeless relevance of Shakespeare's themes present in this particular play. The film industry in particular has produced numerous versions of Shakespeare's enduring classic. No matter how the play is interpreted, however, the themes of the play remain intact. Although Romeo and ... with some that date back as early as 1900. Many directors have taken this play and uniquely adapted it into film while still maintaining the themes of the original play. Just about every type o...

• Word Count: 3331
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School

... the ghost's speeches indicates that he is not what he claims to be. Rather, he has come as a tempter to pour 'poison' into Hamlet's ear. Hamlet is a revenge tragedy, a common genre in Shakespeare's day. As with other theatrical genres, the revenge tragedy had certain conventions that could not be flouted. As Rene Girard has noted, it is Shakespeare's genius that he ... challenges the very foundations of the revenge tragedy in the course of writing a revenge tragedy, and that he does it without violating the conventions of the genre. In this sort of play, Girard notes, "all eloquence mus...

• Word Count: 1931
• Approx Pages: 8
• Grade Level: High School

... ). These words were spoken by a truly innovative composer and lyricist of the modern age, Stephen Sondheim. The emotional truthfulness and sheer complexity of his works have practically made Stephen Sondheim a genre in and of himself, with a talent for connecting an audience to a song using catchy music and memorable lyrics. Sondheim understands the importance of lyrics as well as the visceral impact ... on many Greek or Roman tragedies/comedies. This is true because of social publicity. Even non-theatre-goers have heard of Broadway and/or musicals that have been taken to film such as Le...

• Word Count: 1723
• Approx Pages: 7
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School