Hey beautiful people!!
So as discussed in class, I adore both of these shows. I don`t exactly love comparing them because I think they are both BRILLIANT works of art, I did :D
Firstly, I`d actually like to start by comparing how people actually bash the two works. The usual argument for Romeo and Juliet is, "Oh they are sooo stupid, they barely met and they are getting married!" or "Juliet is, like,12 and shes getting married?!?!" First off, silly bashers, back in those times, if you are married by 12-16.. You're considered an old maid.. so really.. enough of this madness. Secondly, Romeo and Juliet is always criticized for their whirlwind romance, yet the EXACT SAME THING happens in West Side.. just saying.
Now enough of this negitvity. I'd like to discuss one of my favourite songs in west side.. "A Boy Like That."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qs6ko6KF6a0
Such a fantastically under-rated song!!!! I love it!!
I never actually realised it until our study of the two plays, but Anita is based off of Romeo and Juliet's "Nurse."
In the song, Anita is trying to get Maria to forget Tony. She believes he is not good for her because he killed her brother, was banished, ect..
In the play, the nurse does virtually the same,
"Faith, here it is. Romeo is banished... I think it is best you married with the County." Act 3,sc.5,225-230.
The only difference is that Maria (clearly the more modern response) out right refuses to leave Tony, whereas Juliet pretends to agree, but secretly defys her nuse.
Thats my take on the plays and I'm glad I was able to learn more in depth on both shows!
-Sophie Leroux
Hey Sophie,
ReplyDeleteI'm really glad that someone took on the Anita/Nurse comparison. For me, it's one of the most interesting aspects of 'West Side Story.' The fact that they put Anita on a more even level with Maria, both in age and in hierarchy is such an interesting difference compared to 'Romeo and Juliet' in which the Nurse is supposed to be Juliet's guardian and mother figure. Maria and Anita have a much more sisterly relationship, which makes for a very interesting dynamic between the two.
I agree with Senor Budd. It gives me the feeling that Juliet has less freedom, which makes me see her as a stronger or at least more independent character than her west side story counterpart.
ReplyDeleteWell... until she kills herself. Maria was strong enough to keep living.
ReplyDeleteI half agree and half disagree with Theo on the relationship between Juliet and Nurse. In actuality I think that the nurse is her only real friend in the play and is therefore on a more even keel than one would expect. When I did R and J I was lucky enough to be the nurse and I found that interacting with her was very girly and Juliet breathed new life into the nurse's older nature.
ReplyDeleteHard not to view these plays outside the lens of 21st century views on women. Wouldn't the Shakespeare's audience expect obedience from a female daughter? In the 1950's women were not very emancipated. And WSS brings cultural-immigrant expectations into the picture as well.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point Theo!
ReplyDeleteIt's fascinating that Maria and Juliet express themselves differently but immediately make the same decision despite the respective warnings of the sisterly figure in Anita and the motherly figure in the nurse. Yay for determination and youth!
I had actually never made the connection between Anita and the Nurse! That's very interesting! She certainly is the voice of reason in the show, perhaps a little less of a "faithful servant" than the nurse is, which also has to do their relationship as friends.
ReplyDeleteThe rape scene in West Side story is also comparable to an interaction between Nurse and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet, but much more exaggerated. Mercutio's banter with the nurse is often portrayed as a comic scene, definitely making light of the harassment she endures.
I was just having this argument with my sister!!! She doesn't believe that, "Romeo and Juliet", is an amazing love story because she thinks the characters are just stupid and therefore deserve what's coming to them. I shall be showing her your blog! hehe :)
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