How did the 2 films help you understand these issues Essay Example For Students

How did the 2 films help you understand these issues? Essay Explore who is most to blame for the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt? Do you think the princes judgement was fair? How did the 2 films help you understand these issues? This scene is the pivoting point of the entire play. After the scene the entire play changes mood from happiness of love to tragedy. Much of what happens in this scene also seems to foretell what will happen in following scenes. At the start of this scene, we see Benvolio and Mercutio arguing. Benvolio is trying to draw Mercutio away, for he thinks that if they meet the Capulets, we shall not scape a brawl. Mercutio is shown at this point to be in a bad tempered mood. He begins to make things up to annoy Benvolio, for example that thou hast quarrelled with a man for coughing in the street because he hath wakened thy dog that hath lain in the sun. This show s Mercutios bad temper and hints that Mercutio might be to blame for his own death as he seems in a bad mood. This is also hinted at when Benvolio warns that the Capulets are coming. Mercutio fallows this by saying By my heel I care not. This shows that he seems to be looking for a fight. But then again, it also could be seen that as he is not of either house, he shouldnt have anything to fear from the Capulets. But his next line defiantly shows that he is looking for a fight as he issues a challenge to Tybalt with the words: And but one word with one of us? Couple it with something make it a word and a blow. Tybalts arrival in the line before shows that he is trying to be civil. Gentlemen, good den, a word with one of you he says, but Mercutios reply puts him off guard as he follows this by saying that he would accept his challenge if Mercutio gave him occasion. This would seem to hint that he is not to blame for any of the deaths, but then you find out that he is just trying to find Romeo as he says, Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo. This shows that he just following up the challenge he issued to Romeo earlier on in the play following Romeos appearance at the party. This shows that Tybalt came out looking for a fight with Romeo, so he is just as much to blame as Mercutio. Yet still, after all of this, Mercutio is still taunting Tybalt showing his foul mood. Even after Benvolio tries to get them to settle the argument to avoid the princes punishments, Mercutio still replies aggressively, saying I will not budge for no mans pleasure, I. It is at this point in the play that Romeo enters, after being married to Juliet. Tybalt chooses to ignore Mercutios comments at this point as Romeo enters saying, Well, peace be with you, sir, here comes my man. This does show that although Tybalt did come looking for a fight with Romeo, he does not want to start one with Mercutio. Despite Mercutios continuing insults, Tybalt walks straight towards Romeo and challenges him saying thou art a villain. This challenge shows once again that Tybalt came looking for a fight. This would hint that he is slightly to blame, but Romeo dismisses the challenge, tactfully reasoning with Tybalt, even after Tybalts second challenge following this one, saying that he loves the name Capulet as dearly as his own. We know that this is because he is now married to Juliet, but Tybalt does not know this. Mercutios rage takes the better of him at this point saying O calm, dishonourable, vile submission. This in the context of the play is read that Mercutio believes that Romeo is being a coward by backing out and thus challenges Tybalt. This leads to much bartering and eventually the fight between Mercutio and Tybalt. Mercutio set this challenge though so it he is to blame for this fight, which could probably have been avoided, though Shakespeare does not give a hint to what would have happened if Mercutio hadnt joined in. That is left to the director to decide. During the fight though, Romeo tries to be a pacifist and comes between them. Tybalt then thrusts Mercutio underneath Romeos arm. The script seems to try to show that Tybalt did this purposefully, thus the death of Mercutio following this would be his fault. Mercutios death would seem to be the fault of Tybalt (as he actually killed him) and Mercutio for starting the fight. Yet Shakespeares plays usually have an added touch of fate or supernatural, and this script is very similar also. It is a big coincidence that Mercutio was caught in a bad mood in exactly the same time as Tybalt was caught looking for a fight with Romeo, at exactly the time following Rome o be married into the Capulets (though they have no idea!). All these issues are built up before this scene all clash together to give the feeling of fortune and fate being the main culprit of the death of Mercutio. The drama continues EssayAfter the exit of Romeo in the script Zeffirelli inserts act 3 scene 2 lines 1-8 which involves Juliet finding out that Romeo has killed Tybalt. This is to show the consequences of what has happened and how it affects Juliet before the Prices judgement comes to banish. This helps keep the order of her feelings so that the viewer does not get confused as quickly. Her feelings would change at anger at Romeo for killing her cousin to hurt that Romeo was banished. The officer is omitted from the scene because Zeffirelli feels that he is not needed to get the points across. The same reason is given for why some of Benvolio and the Princes speech is also omitted. The Baz Luhrmann version is a much more modern version of the play on the other hand. It chops the script about much more to get the feel and issues forward that the director wanted. A lot more of the lines are cut to shorten this part and the modern setting means that the fighting is more with guns then with swords. The Capulets in this version are brought forwards as the more evil gang, with Baz Luhrmann dressing them all in black and having them scaring away children in this scene when they arrive. Though Mercutio does have a jokey attitude at the start, when Tybalt says Mercutio, thou consortest with Romeo Baz Luhrmann makes the tension rise much quicker. He does not keep the jokey attitude. Music is brought in to add to this tension and the two of them square up to fight each other even before Romeo arrives. At Romeos arrival, Tybalts challenge causes Mercutio and Petruchio to prepare the other twos guns for a duel. After Romeos second refusal of the challenge, Baz Luhrmann has Tybalt attack Romeo, using repetition of many of the lines to add to the tension. To also add to this tension, Baz Luhrmann has the weather reflecting what is happening in the film with a storm sweeping in to darken the skies a bit. Baz Luhrmann makes it look like Mercutio just joins the fight to protect Romeo, referring the line O clam, dishonourable, vile submission! to Tybalt rather then Romeo. Romeo eventually stops Mercutio trying to stop him by holding him back. Tybalt then tries to kill Romeo with a shard of glass from the fight and as Mercutio pushes Romeo out of the way, Mercutio gets stabbed. Tybalt is made to look as if he didnt mean to kill Mercutio as he is dragged off by the other Capulets. The Continuing storm is still adding tension in the background at this point. This storm and the silence around Mercutios lines of A Plague aboth your houses seems to hint that Baz Luhrmann is trying to get across the supernatural and fate aspect of the play. When Mercutio dies Act 3, scene 2 lines 20-30 is inserted, the lines where Juliet is waiting for Romeo to come for her. The serenity of this scene is used as a reminder of Juliets involvement in all this and as a total contrast of the next part which uses a high-speed car crash to start off the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. The continuing storm still adds tension and just as Tybalt is killed (via gun shots from Romeo) a flash of Juliets face appears on screen. The final thunderclap sounds and Romeo drops his gun to show that Romeo has understood what he has just done. Shakespeare originally wrote this scene many years ago skilfully writing it to keep the way it could be played open. I think he was trying to focus on fate as the culprit for the death of Tybalt and Mercutio, as he does often in a lot of his plays although this scene could be read differently. This is shown in the many different versions of the text which have been performed, whether film or theatre, as they try to help the audience focus on their ideas about the different themes of the text.