From Stage to Page

From Stage to Page In March of 2004, Marvel Comics began a story arch in their Uncanny X-Men title that sought to take one of the most well-known stories in theatre history and transfer it to the medium of comic books. Spanning issues #437 – 441, writer Chuck Austen attempted to bring the story of Romeo and Juliet to the world of mutants.

From Stage to Page Yet, this is not the first time that Shakespeare’s play about the young lovers has graced the pages of comics…

From Stage to Page …nor would it be the last.

From Stage to Page So what makes this “interpretation” of the play different? Aren’t people with wings and claws and electricity shooting out of their eyes enough!?

From Stage to Page Well, there is also the story. You see, the writer, Chuck Austen, decided to fit this romantic story in the midst of an ongoing storyline for the X- Men.

From Stage to Page To accomplish this feat, Austen had to make some interpretive choices in order to adapt the plot of Romeo and Juliet into his world of mutants. In this presentation we will explore some of those interpretive choices and see how well they stand up to the original play.

To Begin… Romeo and Juliet involves two houses of Verona, Italy, and She Lies With Angels involves two families in Cumberland, Kentucky. R&J Verona Capulets (Juliet) & Montagues (Romeo) SLWA Cumberland Cabots (Julia) & Gutheries (Josh) Our young lovers in Romeo and Juliet (R&J) are the title characters, and in She Lies With Angels (SLWA) our lovers are Josh and Julia

Act1, Scene 1 The play begins with Sampson and Gregory, two servants of the Capulets, in the streets of Verona. They see Abraham and Balthasar, two men of the house of Montague approaching and decide to insult them.

Act1, Scene 1 Sampson: I will bite my thumb at them, which is a disgrace to them if they bear it. Abraham: Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?

Act1, Scene 1 In SLWA, a similar scene begins the story, but the plot is slightly different. Abraham is still the name of the person who makes the initial confrontation…

Act1, Scene 1

…but Austen plays with the characteristics of this scene by changing Abraham’s allegiance and making a Gutherie (Josh/Romeo) instigate the confrontation. R&J Abraham = Montague/Gutherie (Romeo/Josh) SLWA Abraham = Cabot/Capulet (Julia/Juliet)

Act1, Scene 1 Instead of the Prince breaking up the brawl, we have the local sheriff, Pete, who attempts to stop the fighting.

The Feud Just like in R&J, the feud between the two families has been going on for a while, but in SLWA Austen gives a reason for the feud in that the Cabots hate the Gutheries because several of the family are mutants.

Playing with Names An easy way for Austen to pay homage to Shakespeare’s work was to slightly change names and positions of the secondary characters. Rosaline = Rosalinda Both are the love interest of Romeo/Josh before he sees Juliet/Julia. Mercutio = Manuelo Best friend of Romeo/Josh Prince = Pete Both are law keepers, but Pete is portrayed as being corrupt. Nurse = Grandma Both are skeptical of the lovers’ relationship at first and then change their minds once they meet Romeo/Josh

The Meeting In R&J, the two lovers come together at a masquerade ball where they see each other from across the room and fall in love.

The Meeting In SLWA, the two lovers come together at a place called “The View” which is Austen’s nod to how the lover’s meet in the play. “The View” in the comic book is akin to the “view” from the play that brings them together.

The Kiss Romeo: If I profane with my unworthiest hand / This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this: / My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand / To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss

The Kiss

The Balcony The most famous scene from R&J is possibly the balcony scene where Romeo and Juliet exchange words of love. This is one of the major scenes in SLWA where Austen was able to take creative license while still keeping the feel of the original scene.

Love and Hate Nurse: His name is Romeo, and a Montague, / The only son of your great enemy. Juliet: My only love sprung from my only hate

The Balcony Romeo: But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? / It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. / Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, / Who is already sick and pale with grief, That thou her maid art far more fair than she: / Be not her maid since she is envious: / Her vestal livery is but sick and green, / And none but fools do wear it, cast it off

The Balcony

Juliet: But to be frank, and give it thee again. / And yet I wish but for the thing I have. / My bounty is as boundless as the sea, / My love as deep: the more I give to thee, / The more I have, for both are infinite

The Balcony

Juliet: If they do see thee, they will murder thee. Romeo: Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye / Than twenty of their swords: look thou but sweet, / And I am proof against their enmity. Juliet: I would not for the worl they saw thee here. Romeo: I have night’s cloak to hide me from their eyes, / And but thou love me, let them find me here: / My life were better ended by their hate, / Than death proroguèd, wanting of thy love

Beautiful Death The differences in the death scenes between the play and the graphic novel is another place where Austen takes creative license. Instead of Romeo finding Juliet supposedly dead, Julia wakes to find Josh supposedly dead…

Beautiful Death …and decides to be together with Josh in death because she can’t live without him….

Beautiful Death …and instead of drinking poison (Romeo), Julia hugs Josh and drowns herself. Like Romeo, Julia takes a last look at her love and seals their departure together in death with a kiss.

Beautiful Death Romeo: Eyes, look your last! / Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, O you / The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss / A dateless bargain to engrossing death!

Beautiful Death Romeo: Eyes, look your last! / Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, O you / The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss / A dateless bargain to engrossing death!

Beautiful Death Josh wakes up and realizes what has happened…

Beautiful Death …which mirrors the play when Juliet awakens to find Romeo dead.

Beautiful Death “Poison I see hath been his timeless end. / O churl, drink all and left no friendly drop / to help me after? I will kiss thy lips”

O Happy Dagger With no poison on his lips, Juliet takes her only recourse… “O happy dagger, / This is thy sheath: there rust and let me die.”

O Happy Dagger …and Josh now takes on the role of Juliet and tries to kill himself by piercing his heart…

Cruel Fate …but in an ironic twist, his mutant powers keep healing him, making him unable to kill himself to be with his love… …making Josh’s a more cruel fate than Juliet from the play. At least they could be together in death…Josh is denied this right.

Works Cited