The Death of Romeo and Juliet Through Different Mediums Caitlin Kurtz 9-10.RL.7 Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment

Two Artists William Shakespeare Lord Frederick Leighton

William Shakespeare 1564-1616 Stratford-Upon-Avon Romeo and Juliet approximately 38 plays 154 sonnets two long narrative poems and a few other verses The Globe Theater Actor turned playwright Based on an Italian tale by Arthur Brooke in 1562 Written sometime between 1591- 1595 Themes of love, fate and chance, and opposites like light/dark, hate/love

Lord Frederick Leighton 1830-1896 Yorkshire From very wealthy family, Father was a doctor 1896, he was ennobled, becoming Frederic, Lord Leighton, Baron of Stretton. Only British artist to have been awarded this honor Buried in St Paul's Cathedral

The Reconciliation of the Montagues and Capulets over the Dead Bodies of Romeo and Juliet 1855 Oil on canvas 70 x 91 inches Now located in Atlanta, GA

Prince Escalus This letter doth make good the friar’s words, Their course of love, the tidings of her death; And here he writes that he did buy a poison Of a poor ‘pothecary, and therewithal Came to this vault, to die and lie with Juliet. Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague! See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love. And I for winking at your discords too Have lost a brace of kinsmen. All are punish’d. Capulet O brother Montague, give me thy hand. This is my daughter’s jointure, for no more Can I demand. Montague But I can give thee more, For I will raise her statue in pure gold, That whiles Verona by that name is known, There shall no figure at such rate be set As that of true and faithful Juliet. Capulet As rich shall Romeo’s by his lady’s lie, Poor sacrifices of our enmity! Prince Escalus A glooming peace this morning with it brings, The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head. Go hence to have more talk of these sad things; Some shall be pardon’d, and some punished: For never was a story of more woe Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

The Death Scene in Movies

The Feigned Death of Juliet Worked on from 1856-1858 Oil on Canvas 113.6mm by 175.2mm

Two Paintings Notice the color difference between the two paintings. Why do you think Leighton made those choices between colors? Who are the characters involved in the paintings?

Discussion Discuss the following questions with your group: Which method of storytelling do you prefer: Art, Script, or Performance? Why? What makes one medium of storytelling better than the other? Is there something missing from the story when it is adapted to another type of medium? Or is something else added? Why do you think Romeo and Juliet is still studied today?