Yr 9 Assessment Task 3 - BP1 (LOVE)

Point

oth Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and its modern adaptation by Robert Wise skilfully communicate the enduring idea of love as a powerful and abstract force.

Elab

 In Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers must navigate their families’ deep-seated feud, while in West Side Story, Tony and Maria’s love is divided by cultural gang conflicts between the Sharks and Jets.

Example 1 (R&J)

The portrayal of love in Shakespeare’s play becomes evident in the Death Scene (Act 5, Scene 3), where Juliet’s line, “This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die,” reveals the fatal nature of impulsive devotion.

Effect 1 (R&J)

The metaphor of her own body as a dagger’s sheath highlights how the piercing blade will rust inside her flesh, killing her. Juliet’s rashness to die alongside Romeo suggests the fatality of impulsive love, where blinding devotion causes individuals to act irrationally. Moreover, the dagger symbolises how Juliet’s reckless acceptance of love corrupts her and amounts to tragedy. The imagery of ‘rust’ evokes slow decay, reflecting how blind passion corrodes reason and purity. This enables Shakespeare to critique the idea of love as dangerously impulsive, whilst challenging the idea of devotion as deceitful and irrational.

Effect 1 (R&J) - Contextual Link

This portrayal reflects Renaissance ideals of honour and patriarchy, where women’s devotion and chastity defined their worth and emotions ungoverned by reason could lead to sin and social disorder. Just as Juliet’s impulsive devotion leads to tragedy, Tony’s love for Maria becomes fatal amidst social conflict, showing how both creators portray love as both sanctuary and self-destruction.

Example 2 (R&J)

Similarly, this same theme appears during Romeo’s soliloquy in the Balcony Scene (Act 2, Scene 2) in “Juliet is the sun.” which utilises light imagery to elevate Juliet as life-giving and radiant whilst portraying her as a symbol of devotion.

Effect 2 (R&J)

However, the imagery of a bright burning sun conveys the idea that Romeo’s abrupt affection for Juliet is blinding and irrational, highlighting how her beauty is indulgent for him. By employing this approach, Shakespeare exposes young love’s recklessness, showing how idealised passion quickly mutates into obsession.

LINK FROM R&J TO WSS

In like manner, Wise explores love as both liberating and dangerous in West Side Story.

Example 3 (WSS)

This is first represented in a medium shot of Maria gazing out of her apartment whilst singing in red lighting during ‘The Brawl Scene’.

Effect 3 (WSS)

The red tones in this scene represent affection and warmth, stressing her emotional longing for Tony. The irony of this alludes to the conflict between both gangs, where red is instead used to represent bloodshed and violence. This reinforces how Maria is unknowing of the ongoing brutality, too distracted by the idea of love. Likewise, costuming is used to further establish this idea as her white dress symbolises innocence and purity. The directors critique love’s irrational and consuming nature through its exploitation of Maria’s naiveness, leaving the audience to question the significance of love and whether it is truly pure or inherently blinding.

Example 4 (WSS)

Additionally, non-diegetic sound is used in ‘The First Dance Scene’ to foreground the intimacy and passion present.

Effect 4 (WSS)

It reinforces the idea of love’s consuming nature as the soft, subtle melodies block out the harsh and blaring tunes in the ballroom. The contrast of sound accentuates Maria and Tony’s vulnerability amid tension, reflecting how youthful passion embodies both innocence and corruption, rendering individuals blind to consequence.

Link

In establishing moments of ignorant bliss both directors illuminate the equal destructiveness of love and hate within human nature, cautioning the audience that reckless and unbridled emotion insinuates devastation. Therefore, love is perceived as a force of escapism, allowing us to abandon conflicts and prejudice, yet simultaneously disguising its blinding nature beneath the illusion of harmony.