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... Of course, these are lines from the Prologue to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. ... But when one of these people first sees West Side Story, by Leonard Bernstein, it may not immediately occur to them that these two plays are almost exactly parallel in plot, theme, and cast. ... Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona, Italy, at a time when the world is gradually exiting the Middle Ages. The characters on each side disagree because of the families’ “ancient grudge,” and they use such weapons as swords and daggers. This is blatantly opposite of West Side Story’s setting, in which racial tension between the gangs causes conflict, and they use switchblades and guns to fight in the streets and back alleys of New York City in the 1950’s. ... One of these ways is the groups or gangs in each work that define the story and forbid the love between the two “star-cross’d lovers.” Both Shakespeare, with his Romeo and Juliet, and Bernstein, with West Side Story, use the conflict between each respective group, either the Montagues and Capulets or the Jets and the Sharks, to attempt to alter society and rectify the issues that are caused by this unfavorable attitude towards differences.
Approximate Word count = 962
Approximate Pages = 3.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
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