The Expressions of LUUURRRVE

Since I am a romantic, the two scenes that stood out to me as having the most similarities in Romeo and Juliet and in West Side Story are the scenes in which Tony/Romeo profess their great love for a woman.  They are both young men that have been forever changed after having laid eyes on a particular woman.

In West Side Story, this exclamation of love is expressed in the form of song, titled “Maria”.  Tony is in wonderment at this new woman he has met, Maria.  This song is sung shortly after Tony and Maria meet.  Here are some lyrics that represent the emotion and feel of the song:
“The most beautiful sound I ever heard (Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
All the beautiful sounds in the world in a single word (Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria, Maria)
Maria!
I just met a girl named Maria
And suddenly that name
Will never be the same
To me”

In Romeo and Juliet, a similar exclamation of love is made by Romeo of Juliet, in the form of a now famous soliloquy.  Beginning with the line “But soft! What light through yonder window breaks?” Romeo is in wonderment at Juliet, whom he had recently met.  She is beautiful to him, and he spends this speech explaining her beauty.  Here is an excerpt from his soliloquy:

“The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars

As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night.

See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!

O that I were a glove upon that hand,

That I might touch that cheek!”

 http://www.monologuearchive.com/s/shakespeare_068.html

These two scenes are similar for obvious reasons: these two young men have just fallen in love with a woman and are expressing that love.  However, they do differ from each other.  “Maria” has simple lyrics.  The object of the song is clear, and there are only a few different lyrics throughout the song and they are repeated.  To profess his love for Maria, Tony is mulling over her name and how that one name has forever changed his outlook on life.  Romeo’s soliloquy differs from this greatly.  It is much more complex in terms of its dialogue.  It uses poetic devices and diverse comparisons to describe his love for Juliet.  In the end, however, both of these songs generally convey the same message: LURVE!