1 Torie Powell Shakespeare and Film Final Essay 12-5-13 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Starts a Revolution Introduction

In the era Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, the culture surrounding him had developed the idea of the renaissance woman. This woman was to be controlled by men, never spoke unless influenced by mens opinion, and was seen as a basic puppet to use as an instrument to benefit society. Society expected patriarchy to be the sole explanation for the creation of marriage, until Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet and gave his female lead the power to defy the role of the renaissance woman and become her own. Throughout decades of adaptations of the play, Juliet became the symbol of gender equality through a feminist approach of developing a departure from the way women had been made to be by patriarchy (Rivkin 766). This essay will examine the journey of women establishing an important role in society, viewed through a feministic lens, by using the adaptations of Shakespeares play, Romeo and Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann and the loose adaptation of Gary Ross The Hunger Games. By comparison, these examples lead to the detachment of troubled times for women who left the patriarchal dominated world behind in a fight for the establishment of women able to make a mark in society.

Exposition of argument

2 For centuries, women have abided by cultures rules defining their roles in society as a replaceable woman who contains nothing but pure silence. Men have cast their ideal woman to play as a mere puppet in a society that has been created for men to act as the puppeteers of female actions. For women, choosing ones own partner in marriage was unheard of in Shakespeares time, an era that revolved solely around patriarchy. The role Shakespeare writes for his Juliet has throughout centuries raised hope in the minds of women. With Juliet, Shakespeare slams the stereotype that women should have no voice, and by doing so he creates a character that becomes the symbolism of female evolution and emancipation. Shakespeare gives us the story of a young girl suddenly awakening to the passionate desires that set her against the will of her family (Norton 926). The story of Romeo and Juliet has been described as the greatest love story of all time, a story that proves its worthiness in the number of adaptations it has provoked. Similar to the times Shakespeare wrote this play, filmmakers have used the advancements and associated turmoil of diminutive feminist culture to their advantage to create adaptations to which the audience is able to see in current time. We look at the different Juliets in various films and are able to articulate the moment in time that women gained more power or remained subservient to men. Most filmmakers wish to communicate to an audience which explains why they are careful in the way they choose to portray the character of Juliet (Bywater 175). Baz Luhrmann created his Romeo and Juliet in the year 1996, and deemed his film a modernized version. Luhrmann uses guns in place of swords and daggers, cars instead of horses, and an up to date soundtrack to give his audience a culturally

3 relevant film in order to allow Juliets character to stand an equal to Romeo. Luhrmann stayed true to the dialogue in the text, yet gave an updated version with contemporary technology in order for his audience to relate to the tragedy. In Luhrmanns take on Romeo and Juliet, his version of Juliet is seen as an equal in society to Romeo, but more dominate in their relationship. In a close reading of 2.1, the balcony scene, we are shown the magnitude of influence Juliet has on dear Romeo. The scene begins with Romeo speaking to Juliets beauty, his ecstatic words are the poetic record of a revelation, a vision of a creature unique, perfect, and infinitely beautiful (Norton 927). Juliet begins to speak, whilst in lines 68-70, Romeo compares her to a bright angel and a winged messenger of heaven, which causes Luhrmann to present Juliet in a white dress to depict her angelic presence to the audience. As if to play more on the fetishism of dress, Luhrmann uses the brightness of the pool to illuminate the lightness of Juliets presence, when Romeo is shown the opposite in his dark contrasts of clothing and remains in the shadows throughout the scene. Once Romeos presence is discovered by Juliet, she questions how he managed to bypass the guards, in which Romeo tells her with loves light wings did I oerperch these walls, claiming the guards are no obstacle for his love (2.1.108). Shakespeare again, used wings to help describe Juliet as an angel as though Romeo believes Juliet is his angel sent by God and their equivocal love will survive all obstacles. These images make us think of the objects they represent, which Luhrmann illustrates this with Juliets cross necklace, which she gives to Romeo, and the illumination of her aura radiating throughout the scene (Bywater 171).

4 Acting against the silent role of a renaissance woman, Juliet speaks out to reveal her love for Romeo, her words at once offer a complete fulfillment of this union and a shattering of fulfillment when she speaks of Romeos problematic last name (Norton 927). Luhrmann takes this opportunity to parallel Shakespeares use of sexual puns hidden in language to create a scene in which Romeo and Juliet act on their sexual desires for each other. Juliet delivers lines 82-84 with a shy smile on her face, revealing to the audience her innocence being provoked by sexual desires when she says nor any other part belonging to a man. When declaring her arousal towards Romeo, Juliet simultaneously announces her readiness to defy her fathers orders to marry Paris and no longer be a Capulet, (2.1.78). Romeo blatantly attempts to swoon Juliet despite her continual protest in regards to his safety, showing Juliet as the dominant and more realistic of the two. Luhrmann presents these actions aligned with multiple exchanges of kisses, as if to show the audience the contrast in dialogue and action in order to expand the conflicting emotions between the pair. Romeo convinces Juliet that he loves her by giving her the power of their love in lines 119-120, my life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love. Juliet sees this as an opportunity to declare her own sense of being outside of societys perception of an ideal woman by reciprocating her love for Romeo and defying the cultural norm. Briefly, Juliet feels embarrassed by her declaration of love towards Romeo, but then she bids farewell to conventional restraint and boldly steps forward into the magical realm of reciprocal desire (Norton 928).

5 Once Romeo proposes that the two marry, Juliet conforms with the hope that she will be the wife of Romeo and they may embrace a human relationship that offers a way out of patriarchy, after which she leaps back into his arms diving into the pool, playing on the language in line 175 that her love is as deep and boundless as the sea (Rivkin 769). Just as the pair bid goodnight, Juliet seems to need additional reaffirmation of Romeos heart when he remarks in line 182 that being in the night, all this is but a dream and she questions thy purpose of marriage (2.1.182-186). Juliets naivety towards the opposite sex causes her to question his motives of love be honourable and not solely to prick love for pricking when she once again reflects on the consequences their love could provoke (2.1.185). Juliet proves her dominance in the final moments of the scene when Romeo puts the responsibility in her hands to send a messenger to discuss the whereabouts for the exchanging of vows, in which Juliet chooses to trust her nurse to be the messenger. The nurse complies with Juliets wishes seemingly because of her existing hatred towards patriarchy as well. Shakespeare never writes if the nurse was a married woman or not, but my guess is that she wasnt. In this era, if a woman was not married, that did not grant her the permission to be alone for the remainder of her life, but in actuality were required to live with a male relative or become a nun. Is it possible that Capulet, Juliets father, was a relative of the nurse and gave her a home in exchange for the responsibility to become Juliets caretaker? The nurses character confounds the audience with her sporadic guidance to Juliet and is perceived as a cowardly trader when urging Juliet to give up her romance to marry Paris, instead. The art of seeking revenge comes from the painful particularities of

6 any one persons experience (Rivkin 769). It seems as though Juliet was an acting piece in the nurses game of prevailing patriarchy, and once the nurse believed the game was lost, she recoiled and discontinued her game. The character of Juliet has developed doppelgangers for centuries to create a paradox of identity in the fight against cultures that favored patriarchy. Versions of Romeo and Juliets continued to be made throughout the decades in which directors had the choice to cast increasingly stronger female leads in the belief that their films will help alter the cultures prevailing discrimination against women by the assumption that awareness can lead to change (Bywater 174). Women became more established than ever dreamed possible and finally have an equal role in society by throwing out the idea that men are somehow more superior to women (Rivkin 768). Flash-forward seventeen years since Luhrmanns creation in 1996, and we are set in current times in 2013, a time where young women grow up knowing they no longer have to fight for a voice in society, and are given the opportunity to succeed on their own. In 2008, American author, Suzanne Collins wrote the futuristic book called The Hunger Games, which was then made into film in 2012 by director Gary Ross. The protagonist, Katniss Everdeen, has grown up in a world where a different form of patriarchy exists. The malicious President Snow, a man who will kill anyone who causes an uprising, controls the country of Panem, and each citizens every move. The Hunger Games is a twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic that hijacks twenty-four children to be put in an arena to fight to death and is televised for the countrys entertainment, and Katniss

7 is in the middle of it all (Rotten Tomatoes). Katniss is placed in the Hunger Games with the male lead, Peeta, in which the two are cast as star-crossed lovers in order to win the audiences disproval and cause a rebellion against the Capitol and President Snow. Katniss and Peeta become crowd favorites, and the Capitol has no choice but to save them from their death, which instills hope in Panem to put an end to the Hunger Games, which enrages President Snow. Similar to the role of the renaissance woman in Shakespeares time, Katniss has the sole responsibility to obey the Capitols orders and live her life as a compliant citizen who understands there is no corruption in the Hunger Games. Collins and Ross pair up to create a character that broadens the spectrum of female responsibilities by enabling Katniss to act as the mastermind of the rebellion. In comparison to the Romeo and Juliet balcony scene, Katniss and Peeta are forced to declare their love of each other in regards to their safety. The character of Katniss is seen as a callous and untrusting woman who hesitates on proclaiming her love of Peeta, who is shown as a love struck boy who would do anything to be with Katniss. In a culture thats long tradition of male rule in society which silenced womens voices as been constructed, the roles of Katniss and Peeta have been cast as opposites of the social norm (Rivkin 766). Katniss proves the newfound idea that women can be just as much masculine as men and mens masculinity will not be distorted by their feminine qualities attributed to an unconditional love for each other (Rivkin 768). Analyzing the cave scene in Ross The Hunger Games, Peeta mimics the characteristics of Romeo in the balcony scene by winning the conflicting heart of

8 Katniss. Katniss jumps into the role of Juliets nurse by becoming the caretaker of Peeta, who is unable to walk due to a stabbed leg. The Capitol offers the survivors medicine, in exchange for many hopeful deaths, which causes Katniss to become a heroine and risk her life to save Peeta. This speaks to the urgency of Romeos safety when Juliet speaks her concern about the guards finding him at the place of death, revealing the depths of her true feelings (2.1.106). In this scene, Peeta protests Katniss risking her life for him while she reveals her awareness that he would risk his own life in order to save hers, and we praise Ross for revealing the secrets of the human heart and allowing the audience to sympathize towards their passionate love (Bywater 167). The audience can feel the hatred of the patriarchic President Snow rising by the second. Peeta gives the weight of his life in Katniss hands, when he begs her not to leave his side, claiming that he would rather die than be without her. The mise en scene is a dim lit cave that portrays the essence to be frigid and menacing, much like Romeos lines 117-118, I have nights cloak to hide me from their eyes, and but thou love me, let them find me here. Katniss refusal to lose Peeta to President Snows wicked games proves her capability to follow in Juliets footsteps to continue the evolution of females in society, and become the symbol of the rebellion towards President Snow. President Snow has unscathed control over Panems residents, and his presence becomes the driving force of Katniss fight towards freedom. Much like President Snow wishes he could posses Katniss to obey him, Capulet wishes the same on Juliet when he organizes her arranged marriage. Although it seems clear

9 that no one individual can create changes singlehandedly, a number of people might and Katniss survival in the games continues to ignite hope in Panem, which becomes the source of the uprising to overtake President Snow (Bywater 174). Both women become willing to die for love, with the underlying hope that their death will trigger the continuation of equality by disregarding their orders to develop a sense of ability to become a symbol for freedom in all women. Haymitch Abernathy becomes the contemporary Friar Laurence by aiding the star-crossed lovers from behind the scene. Haymitch is Katniss and Peetas mentor in the games and facilitates their survival by convincing the audience that their newfound love should prosper and their lives should be spared. Unlike Friar Laurences promise to closet his knowledge of the marriage, Haymitch uses the romance to his advantage by broadcasting the affair on television to win sympathy votes from the audience. Is it possible that Romeo and Juliet would have a different outcome if the Friar had done the same? He certainly had a voice in the community, which could have been used to convince the families to unite and save their children, instead he and Juliet conceive a plan to live a life in solitude with Romeo. Romeo and Juliet suffered the inability to believe their love would end the war between the two feuding families and Juliet believed their deaths were the only solution to live a life in romance. Instead, the two families suffer the heartbreak of losing offspring to an unnatural hate, which in the end reconciles the families. Katniss and Peeta used their love as a starting spark of hope to unify Panem into gaining control of their lives and put an end to President Snows reign. Although Romeo and Juliets central issue was the feud between families, The Hunger Games is

10 revolved around a bigger issue; the immorality religiously forced on Panem to watch innocent people be killed, both are challenged by the obstinate female role between two couples. Between the two couples, the audience learns that the intensity of the lovers passion seems to have its own compelling, self-justifying force, which quietly brushes away all social obstacles and moralizing warnings, and love has the power to conquer all hardships in life (Norton 930). Since Shakespeares time, women have experienced a deprecation of their existence and caused them to create a common thread of defiance coupled with the audacity to rebel to become equal. The role of Juliet has become a symbol of change into the morphing cultures throughout time by inspiring writers and film directors to adapt her character into one who seeks freedom in regards to the current societal rules of the time it was produced. Katniss Everdeen is a beacon of light in current times and is able to ignite hope for equality in her countrys population as a whole, no matter the gender. The Hunger Games proves how far women have come since Shakespeares time of Romeo and Juliet; an era that silenced the voice of all women has now developed into a time that strives for women to become leaders in society.

Reflections I think it is very interesting and fun to analyze Shakespeares plays in a feministic critique because he was known for his blatant sexism against women. Making Romeo and Juliet into a story about empowering women caused me to see the play in a different perspective than I ever had before. Relating it to The Hunger Games seemed perfect for me because Katniss character represents everything a

11 woman could never be in previous decades. In a country that has still never had a female president, I think analyzing the two texts works great because The Hunger Games is set in the future where a female president isnt such an abstract thought. One thing I never realized before writing this essay was that Juliet could exist as the unconscious feminist in all of us, causing us to fight for gender equality. Juliet and Katniss connect well together because of their refusal to allow the corrupt rules of society dictate their behavior, and are happily willing to die fighting for the cause. When first creating my thesis for this essay, I had also included the movie Gnomeo and Juliet, which I at first thought worked well with the other topics of discussion. Once I started writing and developing thoughts, I took Gnomeo and Juliet out because I wanted this essay to be seen as a realistic analysis of the fight for womens rights, and I felt that including an animated movie took away from the seriousness of the subject.

12 Works Cited Bywater, Tim. "The Ideological/Theoretical Approach." An Introduction to Film Criticism. Ed. Thomas Sobchack. New York: Longman, n.d. 162-81. Print. Rivkin, Julie, and Michael Ryan. Literary Theory, an Anthology. Malden, Mass: Blackwell, 1998. Print. Shakespeare, William, Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine E. Maus, and Andrew Gurr. The Norton Shakespeare. New York: W.W. Norton, 1997. Print. "The Hunger Games (2012)." The Hunger Games. Rotten Tomatoes, 2012. Web. 06 Dec. 2013. Movies Romeo and Juliet by Baz Luhrmann The Hunger Games by Gary Ross