DOCSLIB.ORG

West Side Story As Shakespearean Tragedy and a Celebration of Love and Forgiveness

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
West Side Story As Shakespearean Tragedy and a Celebration of Love and Forgiveness “The Boy Must Die? Yes, the Boy Must Die”: West Side Story as Shakespearean Tragedy and a Celebration of Love and Forgiveness West Side Story is based on Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, and is considered to be one of the finest adaptations of a Shakespearean play ever written. The structure of the first act of West Side Story follows almost exactly the structure of the first three acts of Romeo and Juliet. And the major characters of West Side Story, Tony and Maria, are parallels to Romeo and Juliet. The opening fight between the Jets and the Sharks mirrors the fight between the Montagues and Capulets and this fight is broken up by the modern American representation of the law, Officer Krupke, instead of the Prince who weighs in against the two warring clans in Renaissance Verona. In both the modern musical and the Renaissance tragedy, the opening scene, in the manner of Greek tragedy, lays bare the plague that afflicts society—unchecked violence exacerbated by extreme prejudice. The two scenes that follow, the introduction of Romeo/Tony, and of Juliet/Maria, depict the longing of the young to escape from this plague. Romeo/Tony knows that the current trajectory of his life is meaningless and hopes that a new path will open up for him. And Juliet/Maria does not want to marry within the narrow confines of her familial/ethnic group, seeking instead to forge her own path for her own life. Thus the conflict between the protagonists and an antagonistic society is established. When Romeo/Tony and Juliet/Maria meet and fall in love in the next two scenes, the dance and balcony scenes, this conflict is set in motion. For the protagonists, their love, so idealistic, youthful, innocent and intense, seems to both them and the audience, able to transcend the vicious realities of their societies and indeed to outshine the wonders of the natural world itself. So both West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet depict the hope and faith in the all-conquering power of romantic love. The parallel marriage scenes that follow in both works provoke strong emotions in the audience as all of us have witnessed marriages and felt the joyous hope that such unions represent. However, both works are tragedies and the marriage scenes are followed almost immediately by an eruption of violence so strong that the marriage of the protagonists is shattered and with it the hope that it had promised. Romeo/Tony, in attempting to stop a fight, unwittingly causes the death of his best friend, Mercutio/Riff, at the hand of Juliet/Maria’s kinsman, Tybalt/Bernardo. And when Romeo/Tony then kills Tybalt/Bernardo in revenge, he becomes an actor in the circle of violence, and as a character in a tragedy is slated to die. “Yes,” as Dumbledore tells Snape in Harry Potter, “the boy must die,” even though we, as the audience, resist this truth. 1 Such a difficult truth, that romantic love alone, will not overwhelm and defeat hate, is explained very differently in West Side Story than it is in Romeo and Juliet. And this difference is made very clear through scenes in West Side Story that are not parallels to any of the scenes in Romeo and Juliet. These scenes in West Side Story derive partly from the tradition Jewish socialism, a tradition that deeply influenced the writers, composers and directors of West Side Story. This is most evident in the only scene in the first half of their musical without parallel in Shakespeare’s work— the America scene. One of the most recognizable songs of the show subtly demonstrates a major concern of both the Torah and 20th century socialism, that commodity fetishism lies at the root the violence and prejudice that plagues society; or as the Christian gospel notes, that the love money is the root of all evil. It is entirely appropriate to link West Side Story to the Christian gospel as well as the tradition of Jewish socialism, since its creators were versed in the basic tenets of Christianity, a number of them having written or composed a mass for a modern audience. Indeed, the Catholic mass informs the structure of the second half of West Side Story the part of the musical that diverges most from Romeo and Juliet. And so, while it continues to echo Romeo and Juliet, the second half corresponds in many ways to the Roman Catholic Liturgy of the Eucharist. The second act of West Side Story begins by hammering home the truth that all humans have sinned, that all are “no damn good” and this is made most evident in the Gee Officer Krupke number. This complex song also satirizes the attempts of human institutions—the legal, mental health and social service institutions in particular—to heal a broken society plagued by sin. The I Feel Pretty number celebrates the eventual union of Christ and His bride, symbolized in the musical by Tony and Maria. Tony comes in after the song, psychologically broken and physically bloodied, imaging the Christ who must die for us and atone for our sin. But before atonement can occur, the congregation must ask for forgiveness and in the dream vision of Tony and Maria, the entire cast performs a ballet and sings in the Somewhere number, “we’ll find a new way of living, we’ll find a way of forgiving.” Even the dead Riff and Bernardo, representing that “great cloud of witnesses” that have been reconciled with each other, join in the singing. The song concludes with the Rite of Peace and the audience too is enjoined to hold the hands of the cast and enter the “way of forgiving.” The Eucharistic scenes of the musical move to their rapid conclusion in the next scene when Anita confronts Maria with her pain and agony over the loss of her love, Bernardo. In this scene and the one that follows in which the Jets attempt to rape her, Anita symbolically represents the agony and scourging of Christ before His death. Tony dies in the next and final scene, with Maria as Virgin Mary mourning for him, and as the Church proclaiming that all are responsible for the death of the innocent. 2 Yet Tony and Anita are very flawed symbols for Christ just as Maria, who says at the end “I can hate now” is a flawed symbol for the Virgin. They are merely flawed human actors enmeshed in the tragedy that is human life. West Side Story portrays the hope of atonement and redemption “somehow, somewhere,” but its overwhelming focus is on the here and now. Young men die unjustly in a “nation of laws” and the innocence of young women turns to bitterness and hate. American society does not always fulfill its promise and the boy does die. Far, far too many boys die. In this context, even the hope represented by the Christian Eucharist seems impossibly distant. The powerful hope evident in West Side Story comes not from a future that is promised but because of a love made all-conquering by first forgiving oneself and others. This is the great theme of Shakespeare’s later works, not fully realized in his youthful work, Romeo and Juliet. As human beings, in the here and now, we are able to build a better society as the great examples of Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela have shown us with their mature understanding of forgiveness and reconciliation, mercy and justice, and love. In West Side Story we are called to move beyond the boyhood notion that romantic love is the enduring and real Presence. As Jon Snow in Game of Thrones is told, we must “Kill the boy and become the man.” “Yes, the boy must die.” And this is tragic, but necessary. A greater love that affirms life comes following forgiveness, as Maria and Anita state in their duet that sums up the theme of the show: “When love comes so strong, there is no right or wrong, your love is your life.” David F. Turk 3 .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Collected Works of Ambrose Bierce
    m ill iiiii;!: t!;:!iiii; PS Al V-ID BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND THE GIFT OF Henrg W, Sage 1891 B^^WiS _ i.i|j(i5 Cornell University Library PS 1097.A1 1909 V.10 The collected works of Ambrose Blerce. 3 1924 021 998 889 The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021998889 THE COLLECTED WORKS OF AMBROSE BIERCE VOLUME X UIBI f\^^°\\\i COPYHIGHT, 1911, Br THE NEALE PUBLISHING COMPANY CONTENTS PAGE THE OPINIONATOR The Novel 17 On Literary Criticism 25 Stage Illusion 49 The Matter of Manner 57 On Reading New Books 65 Alphab£tes and Border Ruffians .... 69 To Train a Writer 75 As to Cartooning 79 The S. p. W 87 Portraits of Elderly Authors .... 95 Wit and Humor 98 Word Changes and Slang . ... 103 The Ravages of Shakspearitis .... 109 England's Laureate 113 Hall Caine on Hall Gaining . • "7 Visions of the Night . .... 132 THE REVIEWER Edwin Markham's Poems 137 "The Kreutzer Sonata" .... 149 Emma Frances Dawson 166 Marie Bashkirtseff 172 A Poet and His Poem 177 THE CONTROVERSIALIST An Insurrection of the Peasantry . 189 CONTENTS page Montagues and Capulets 209 A Dead Lion . 212 The Short Story 234 Who are Great? 249 Poetry and Verse 256 Thought and Feeling 274 THE' TIMOROUS REPORTER The Passing of Satire 2S1 Some Disadvantages of Genius 285 Our Sacrosanct Orthography . 299 The Author as an Opportunity 306 On Posthumous Renown .
    [Show full text]
  • BENVOLIO but New Struck Nine. ROMEO Ay Me! Sad Hours Seem Long
    BENVOLIO/ROMEO BENVOLIO Good-morrow, cousin. ROMEO Is the day so young? BENVOLIO But new struck nine. ROMEO Ay me! sad hours seem long. Was that my father that went hence so fast? BENVOLIO It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours? ROMEO Not having that, which, having, makes them short. BENVOLIO In love? ROMEO Out-- BENVOLIO Of love? ROMEO Out of her favour, where I am in love. BENVOLIO Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof! ROMEO Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! BENVOLIO Tell me in sadness, who is that you love. ROMEO What, shall I groan and tell thee? BENVOLIO Groan! why, no. But sadly tell me who. ROMEO In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman. BENVOLIO I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved. ROMEO/JULIET ROMEO [To JULIET] If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this: My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. JULIET Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much, Which mannerly devotion shows in this; For saints have hands that pilgrims' hands do touch, And palm to palm is holy palmers' kiss. ROMEO Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too? JULIET Ay, pilgrim, lips that they must use in prayer. ROMEO O, then, dear saint, let lips do what hands do; They pray, grant thou, lest faith turn to despair. JULIET Saints do not move, though grant for prayers' sake.
    [Show full text]
  • Romeo and Juliet I
    15 Romeo And Juliet I Romeo And Juliet is one of the most famous love stories of all time. It takes Verona place in the city of Verona, Italy. Where is Verona? Verona is a rich and beautiful city in Italy. Map of Italy Copy A Family Feud In Romeo And Juliet, there are two wealthy families, the Capulets and the Montagues. The Capulets and the Montagues are not on good terms. If you are a Capulet, it is your duty to dislike Montagues. If you are a Montague, you will be a disgrace to your family if you are friends with a Capulet. Imagine meeting the person you dislike most! Sampson and Gregory work for the Capulets, while Abraham and Balthasar work for the Montagues. How do you think the men feel when they bump into each other on the streets of Verona? Well, Sampson decides to insult the Montagues. An insult is something rude that people do or say to others. In those days, it was very rude to bite your thumb at someone, and that is whatEvaluation Sampson did when he saw Abraham and Balthasar! 83 Romeo And Juliet I A Quarrel Read the following script aloud. Then act out the story. Characters Sampson Abraham (from the house of Capulet) (from the house of Capulet) Balthasar Gregory (from the house of Montague) (from the house of Montague) Benvolio (a Montague) Tybalt (a Capulet) Other members of the Citizens two families Setting Copy Verona SAMPSON I will bite my thumb at them. That’s a great insult! ABRAHAM (noticing SAMPSON) Do you bite your thumb at us, sir? SAMPSON I do bite my thumb, sir.
    [Show full text]
  • Romeo & Juliet
    Romeo and Juliet The Atlanta Shakespeare Company Staff Artistic Director Jeff Watkins Director of Education and Training Laura Cole Development Director Rivka Levin Education Staff Kati Grace Brown, Tony Brown, Andrew Houchins, Adam King, Amanda Lindsey, Samantha Smith Box Office Manager Becky Cormier Finch Art Manager Amee Vyas Marketing Manager Jeanette Meierhofer Company Manager Joe Rossidivito Unless otherwise noted, photos appearing in this study guide are courtesy of Jeff Watkins. Study guide by Samantha Smith The Atlanta Shakespeare Company 499 Peachtree St NE Atlanta GA 30308 404-874-5299 www.shakespearetavern.com Like the Atlanta Shakespeare Company on Facebook and follow ASC on Twitter at @shakespearetav. DIRECTOR'S NOTE ONe of the thiNgs I love most about Shakespeare is that his stories prejudices are too deep aNd too violeNt to be overcome carry differeNt meaNiNgs for me at differeNt poiNts iN my life. by youNg love; iNstead it takes the deaths of two What resoNates for me about the story of Romeo aNd Juliet right iNtelligeNt, kiNd, empathetic youNg people to make the Now is the impact aNd terrible cost of prejudice aNd hatred for the feudiNg Capulets aNd MoNtagues fiNally call each other people iN the play. The Capulets aNd MoNtagues are Not writteN "brother." Right Now, that's the part of this story that's as villaiNs. They are ordiNary people who go about their busiNess moviNg me the most: the warNiNg call to examiNe our aNd care for their owN. But they have beeN raised to hate each owN grudges aNd prejudices aNd thiNk about the other aNd are set iN their ways; they stubborNly adhere to their coNsequeNces of those prejudices for ourselves aNd geNeratioNs-old family feud, refusiNg to let their old grudges go others.
    [Show full text]
  • 9.1.3 Lesson 9
    NYS Common Core ELA & Literacy Curriculum Grade 9 • Module 1 • Unit 3 • Lesson 9 9.1.3 Lesson 9 Introduction In this lesson, students read and analyze William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Act 3.1, lines 59–110 (from “Romeo, the love I bear thee can afford” to “I have it, and soundly too. Your houses!”). In this excerpt, a fight breaks out between Mercutio and Tybalt after Tybalt insults Romeo, and Mercutio is killed. Students work in pairs to explore how Shakespeare develops Romeo’s character through his interactions with Tybalt and Mercutio. Prior to reading, students view a clip of Baz Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet, depicting the marriage of Romeo and Juliet. Student learning is assessed via a Quick Write at the end of the lesson: How does Shakespeare develop Romeo’s character through his interactions with Tybalt and Mercutio? For homework, students continue their Accountable Independent Reading (AIR) and write a brief response to the question: “Who is responsible for Mercutio’s death?” Standards Assessed Standard(s) RL.9-10.3 Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. Addressed Standard(s) L.9-10.4.a, Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and b, c phrases based on grades 9–10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
    [Show full text]
  • Romeo & Juliet
    ROMEO & JULIET Student’s Book A play and film study guide Educasia Education in Context Before You Start… 1. You are about to read and watch the story of Romeo and Juliet. Look at the two pictures below, and try to answer the following questions: Who are Romeo and Juliet? What is their relationship? How will their relationship change throughout the story? How will the film and play be different? 2. Read the following introduction to the play, and answer the questions. This is the most famous of all Shakespeare’s plays, first printed in 1597. Romeo and Juliet meet, fall in love, and promise to be faithful to each other forever. Love is strong, but not as strong as family tradition, or hate, or revenge. Like young people all over the world, Romeo and Juliet want the right to decide their future for themselves, but in the end, their families are too powerful for them. Romeo and Juliet cannot live without each other, and if they are not allowed to marry and live together, there is only one way out. According to the introduction, are the following sentences true (T), false (F) or doesn’t it say (DS)? a. Romeo and Juliet have been lovers since they were children. b. Romeo and Juliet’s families are enemies. c. Romeo and Juliet are married. d. Their families eventually allow them to be together. 1 Characters in the Play The Montague family Lord Montague Lady Montague Romeo, the Montagues’ son Nurse, from Benvolio, Romeo’s cousin the 1968 film The Capulet family Lord Capulet Lady Capulet Juliet, the Capulets’ daughter Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin from the 1916 film.
    [Show full text]
  • West Side Story” (Original Cast Recording) (1957) Added to the National Registry: 2008 Essay by Robert L
    “West Side Story” (Original cast recording) (1957) Added to the National Registry: 2008 Essay by Robert L. McLaughlin (guest essay)* Original “West Side Story” cast members at recording session (from left: Elizabeth Taylor, Carmen Gutierrez, Marilyn Cooper, Carol Lawrence) “West Side Story” is among the best and most important of Broadway musicals. It was both a culmination of the Rodgers and Hammerstein integrated musical, bringing together music, dance, language and design in service of a powerful narrative, and an arrow pointing toward the future, creating new possibilities for what a musical can be and how it can work. Its cast recording preserves its score and the original performances. “West Side Story’s” journey to theater immortality was not easy. The show’s origins came in the late 1940s when director/choreographer Jerome Robbins, composer Leonard Bernstein, and playwright Arthur Laurents imagined an updated retelling of “Romeo and Juliet,” with the star- crossed lovers thwarted by their contentious Catholic and Jewish families. After some work, the men decided that such a musical would evoke “Abie’s Irish Rose” more than Shakespeare and so they set the project aside. A few years later, however, Bernstein and Laurents were struck by news reports of gang violence in New York and, with Robbins, reconceived the piece as a story of two lovers set against Caucasian and Puerto Rican gang warfare. The musical’s “Prologue” establishes the rivalry between the Jets, a gang of white teens, children mostly of immigrant parents and claimants of a block of turf on New York City’s west side, and the Sharks, a gang of Puerto Rican teens, recently come to the city and, as the play begins, finally numerous enough to challenge the Jets’ dominion.
    [Show full text]
  • Leonard Bernstein's MASS
    27 Season 2014-2015 Thursday, April 30, at 8:00 Friday, May 1, at 8:00 The Philadelphia Orchestra Saturday, May 2, at 8:00 Sunday, May 3, at 2:00 Leonard Bernstein’s MASS: A Theatre Piece for Singers, Players, and Dancers* Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin Texts from the liturgy of the Roman Mass Additional texts by Stephen Schwartz and Leonard Bernstein For a list of performing and creative artists please turn to page 30. *First complete Philadelphia Orchestra performances This program runs approximately 1 hour, 50 minutes, and will be performed without an intermission. These performances are made possible in part by the generous support of the William Penn Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Additional support has been provided by the Presser Foundation. 28 I. Devotions before Mass 1. Antiphon: Kyrie eleison 2. Hymn and Psalm: “A Simple Song” 3. Responsory: Alleluia II. First Introit (Rondo) 1. Prefatory Prayers 2. Thrice-Triple Canon: Dominus vobiscum III. Second Introit 1. In nomine Patris 2. Prayer for the Congregation (Chorale: “Almighty Father”) 3. Epiphany IV. Confession 1. Confiteor 2. Trope: “I Don’t Know” 3. Trope: “Easy” V. Meditation No. 1 VI. Gloria 1. Gloria tibi 2. Gloria in excelsis 3. Trope: “Half of the People” 4. Trope: “Thank You” VII. Mediation No. 2 VIII. Epistle: “The Word of the Lord” IX. Gospel-Sermon: “God Said” X. Credo 1. Credo in unum Deum 2. Trope: “Non Credo” 3. Trope: “Hurry” 4. Trope: “World without End” 5. Trope: “I Believe in God” XI. Meditation No. 3 (De profundis, part 1) XII.
    [Show full text]
  • The Rise and Fall of the Bass Clarinet in a the RISE and FALL of the BASS CLARINET in A
    Keith Bowen - The rise and fall of the bass clarinet in A THE RISE AND FALL OF THE BASS CLARINET IN A Keith Bowen The bass clarinet in A was introduced by Wagner in Lohengrin in 1848. Unlike the bass instruments in C and Bb, it is not known to have a history in wind bands. Its appearance was not, so far as is known, accompanied by any negotiations with makers. Over the next century, it was called for by over twenty other composers in over sixty works. The last works to use the bass in A are, I believe, Strauss’ Sonatine für Blaser, 1942, and Messiaen’s Turangalîla-Symphonie (1948, revised 1990) and Gunther Schuller’s Duo Sonata (1949) for clarinet and bass clarinet. The instrument has all but disappeared from orchestral use and there are very few left in the world. It is now often called obsolete, despite the historically-informed performance movement over the last half century which emphasizes, inter alia, performance on the instruments originally specified by the composer. And the instrument has been largely neglected by scholars. Leeson1 drew attention to the one-time popularity and current neglect of the instrument, in an article that inspired the current study, and Joppig2 has disussed the use of the various tonalities of clarinet, including the bass in A, by Gustav Mahler. He pointed out that the use of both A and Bb clarinets in both soprano and bass registers was absolutely normal in Mahler’s time, citing Heinrich Schenker writing as Artur Niloff in 19083. Otherwise it has been as neglected in the literature as it is in the orchestra.
    [Show full text]
  • Romantic and Realistic Impulses in the Dramas of August Strindberg
    Romantic and realistic impulses in the dramas of August Strindberg Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Dinken, Barney Michael Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 25/09/2021 13:12:12 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/557865 ROMANTIC AND REALISTIC IMPULSES IN THE DRAMAS OF AUGUST STRINDBERG by Barney Michael Dinken A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF DRAMA In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 8 1 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fu lfillm e n t of re­ quirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available,to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests fo r permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judg­ ment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar­ ship, In a ll other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author.
    [Show full text]
  • Composition Catalog
    1 LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100 New York Content & Review Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. Marie Carter Table of Contents 229 West 28th St, 11th Floor Trudy Chan New York, NY 10001 Patrick Gullo 2 A Welcoming USA Steven Lankenau +1 (212) 358-5300 4 Introduction (English) [email protected] Introduction 8 Introduction (Español) www.boosey.com Carol J. Oja 11 Introduction (Deutsch) The Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc. Translations 14 A Leonard Bernstein Timeline 121 West 27th St, Suite 1104 Straker Translations New York, NY 10001 Jens Luckwaldt 16 Orchestras Conducted by Bernstein USA Dr. Kerstin Schüssler-Bach 18 Abbreviations +1 (212) 315-0640 Sebastián Zubieta [email protected] 21 Works www.leonardbernstein.com Art Direction & Design 22 Stage Kristin Spix Design 36 Ballet London Iris A. Brown Design Boosey & Hawkes Music Publishers Limited 36 Full Orchestra Aldwych House Printing & Packaging 38 Solo Instrument(s) & Orchestra 71-91 Aldwych UNIMAC Graphics London, WC2B 4HN 40 Voice(s) & Orchestra UK Cover Photograph 42 Ensemble & Chamber without Voice(s) +44 (20) 7054 7200 Alfred Eisenstaedt [email protected] 43 Ensemble & Chamber with Voice(s) www.boosey.com Special thanks to The Leonard Bernstein 45 Chorus & Orchestra Office, The Craig Urquhart Office, and the Berlin Library of Congress 46 Piano(s) Boosey & Hawkes • Bote & Bock GmbH 46 Band Lützowufer 26 The “g-clef in letter B” logo is a trademark of 47 Songs in a Theatrical Style 10787 Berlin Amberson Holdings LLC. Deutschland 47 Songs Written for Shows +49 (30) 2500 13-0 2015 & © Boosey & Hawkes, Inc. 48 Vocal [email protected] www.boosey.de 48 Choral 49 Instrumental 50 Chronological List of Compositions 52 CD Track Listing LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100 2 3 LEONARD BERNSTEIN AT 100 A Welcoming Leonard Bernstein’s essential approach to music was one of celebration; it was about making the most of all that was beautiful in sound.
    [Show full text]
  • Romeo and Juliet
    Study Guide Romeo and Juliet A Tragedy has 4 Elements Tragic Hero Supernatural Element born Hero has a fatal FLAW Hero’s FATE leads to A mystical, mysterious, Hero is Noble born High downfall or death or unnatural element class occurs during the Influences society Tragic Hero’s life Guide Romeo and Juliet Romeo is a Tragic Hero Romeo Romeo’s FLAW Supernatural is Element Noble Born FATE causes Romeo to NEVER receive the note from Friar Laurence Potion born Romeo is Impulsive mysterious unnatural potion Romeo is born to a Romeo is impulsive … It is FATE that causes Juliet has taken a noble high class family this FLAW causes him to Romeo to NEVER mysterious potion that and is the hero of the make quick decisions receive the note from makes her look dead. play. without thinking. Friar Laurence telling Romeo kills himself him that Juliet plans to because he thinks Juliet FAKE her death. is dead, but she is FAKING death. J. Haugh 2014 X Drive/ English/ Romeo Juliet/ Study Guide Romeo and Juliet 1 Problems or Complications for Juliet Not a Problem of Complication for Juliet There is an ongoing feud between Juliet is NOT in love with Paris so this Capulet and Montague families is not a problem or complication Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mom) wants her to marry Paris Tybalt wants to fight Romeo to the death The feud between the Capulet and Montague Families Obstacles for Romeo Lady Capulet wants Juliet to marry Paris and Juliet Comic Relief happens when a writer puts humor into a serious situation to break the tension Juliet’s Nurse provides COMIC RELIEF in a serious situation J.
    [Show full text]