Romeo & Juliet Vs. The 1996 Film

Romeo & Juliet The Movie vs. William Shakespeare's Play

Scene Comparison

By: Ben Carleton

If you are wondering whether you should watch the new Romeo & Juliet movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio after you have read the play by William Shakespeare than you must read this! All you need to know regarding the difference in the main scenes is right here. The biggest differences in scenes were the death scene of Mercutio and Tybalt and the death scene of Romeo and Juliet. Another big difference in scenes is the Capulet party. Just as in the play, Romeo and Juliet both die in the Capulet tomb.

Although they both die in the Capulet tomb the Capulet tomb is not in the same area in the movie. In the movie the Capulet tomb is a giant tomb positioned in the middle of the city where as in the play it was a somewhat small tomb that is positioned in a cemetery. The biggest difference in the death scenes is that in the movie when Romeo enters the tomb Paris is not there. Because he is not there Romeo does not kill Paris in the tomb as in the play. Unlike in the play, in the movie when Juliet wakes up the Friar Lawrence is not there. Like in the play, Romeo and Juliet both die beside each other. But when Romeo kills himself he does not notice that Juliet is actually awake, in the movie. Also, after Juliet gains the strength to move she kills herself with Romeo's gun, not his knife. These two star-crossed lovers killed themselves over the love they had for each other, which only began a few days before at the Capulets party.

Unlike in the play, where it seems that Romeo had been intoxicated, he instead takes a tablet of ecstasy. When entering the party in the movie Romeo says " Thy drugs are quick". He is referring to the ecstasy tablet that was given to him by Mercuto. In the play he states this after he drinks the lethal potion in the tomb. Before going to the party Mercutio tells Romeo and friends the Queen Mab speech. He changes it in the movie by skipping the lines describing Queen Mab and her Chariot. At the party in the movie, Juliet dances with Paris unlike in the play where they do not dance together. When Romeo and Juliet are kissing in the play they stay in the same spot and do not have to hide from her mother and the nurse. When they are kissing in the movie they seem to be hiding from her mother and nurse. They spend their time talking and kissing in the elevator. In the play Benvolio states to Romeo while he stares at Juliet, "Away, be gone, the sport is at the best." In the movie it is Mercutio who sneaks up and states it. Following the party in the play Romeo is being made fun of while he is up a tree. Where as in the movie while up an antenna there is only a short statement by Mercutio making fun of him. As Tybalt states, "I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall, now seeming sweet, convert to bitt'rest gall." Tybalt does come back to seek his revenge on the Montagues but wants his revenge on Romeo.

Before Tybalt comes to get his revenge on Romeo and the Montague's they