Writing Assignment for R&J
The story of young lovers who
are kept apart because of misunderstandings or prejudice is an old one. Shakespeare used this ancient tale as the
basis for Romeo and Juliet.
Find a modern story with a
theme that is similar to Romeo and Juliet.
The story could be from a movie, TV show, novel, short story, or
song.
1. Include a thesis sentence (underline it).
2. Compare and/or contrast the theme, setting, and
characters of this story to Romeo and Juliet.
3. Include at least two quotes (with notation) from Romeo
and Juliet and specific examples from the story you
are comparing Romeo and Juliet to.
4. This should be two or three paragraphs long.
Comparing Romeo and Juliet to
Maria and the Captain in Sound of Music
In
the movie, The Sound of Music, Maria is a nun assigned to be the nanny
for a widower’s seven children. The
widower, Captain Von Trapp, is a strict, emotionless man and Maria is an
outgoing, fun woman. Despite their
differences and the interference of outside forces, Von Trapp and Maria
ultimately fall in love and get married.
In the play, Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet also overcome
many problems, fall in love and get married.
Although Romeo and Juliet and The Sound of Music have a similar
theme, the setting and the characters are completely different.
In Romeo
and Juliet, the setting takes place in Verona, Italy, approximately 400
years ago. The Sound of Music takes
place in Austria just prior to World War II.
Also, the story of Romeo and Juliet focuses on the characters of
two teenagers, who are just now finding love for the first time. In The Sound of Music, Maria and Von
Trapp are both older (Von Trapp has seven kids!) and have already experienced a
deep, strong love: Von Trapp for his
first wife, and Maria for God and the convent.
In addition, in Romeo and Juliet, all of the secondary
characters, from Benvolio to the nurse, seem to be trying to end Romeo and
Juliet’s affair. In The Sound of
Music, Von Trapp’s children are the secondary characters and they spend a
good part of the movie trying to get the two together.
Despite
these many differences, Romeo and Juliet and The Sound of Music
are clearly similar stories. Both rely
heavily on the theme of a couple finding love despite great odds. In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo and Juliet
fall in love with each other despite their parent’s hatred for each other,
Tybalt’s meddling and Mercutio’s death.
In The Sound of Music, Maria and Von Trapp fall in love with each
other despite their own dislike for each other, the baroness’ meddling and the
danger of the Nazi party.
Comparing
two texts:
_____Romeo and Juliet_________ and
_________________________
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Similarities
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Differences
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THEME
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SETTING
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CHARACTERS
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Independent Reading
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