The surveillance cameras act as the guards in the original play, having the same meaning of avoiding detection and the fear of exposure and hidden nature of heir love. In the Luhrmann’s film, the same thing applies, but instead of the orchard there is the pool. In the original play, Romeo is in the Capulet’s orchard, symbolising isolation and separation, which contributes to fear of exposure of their ‘death marked love’. Luhrmann decided to modernise the entire story, by doing this it changed many things like the weapons they used and their homes.

The setting of the balcony scene in Shakespeare’s play is completely different to Luhrmann’s film, but the symbolic meanings behind the props are very much alike. Although Luhrmann’s film has variations to the play, the characters are still quite similar to the original. ’ Juliet is also witty and mature, as she tells Romeo not to swear their love by the inconstant moon, she is aware of men’s games. She is a logical, practical and cautious girl, she is concerned about Romeo’s safety when he broke into the Capulet’s house, she says to Romeo: ‘If they do see thee, they will murder thee. Juliet, however, has completely opposite personalities to the idealistic Romeo. Romeo is also honourable to Juliet as he wishes to marry her, not just after sex, though we can say that he is impulsive and spontaneous as he moves from Rosaline to Juliet. He is also romantic about love and uses flowery and poetic language whilst speaking to Juliet. We can see that Romeo idolises Juliet, describing ‘Juliet the sun’. Through this scene, both Shakespeare and Baz Luhrmann has revealed and communicated to us about the film’s characters in this scene. In the balcony scene of the play and the film, the key characters, Romeo and Juliet are quite similar. Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation from the original play is contemporary and quite innovative. This scene serves to establish Romeo and Juliet’s love, it illustrates the barrier between the ‘pair of star-crossed lovers’, and how they confess their lover for each other and decide to get married in spite of the feud between their families the balcony scene also serves to consolidate the individual personality traits, develop them as characters both in and separately from their relationship. The balcony scene of the Shakespeare’s play and Baz Luhrmann’s film is the most significant and important scene of the whole play. Set in Verona, William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet shows the disastrous effect of love in the lives of the play’s key characters, Romeo and Juliet.

Balcony scene romeo and juliet script