When thinking of the term
intertextuality, a million of different thoughts and ideas ran through my mind. I have seen so many movies and read enough literature to have had that deja vu, or in this case
deja lu feeling that would make literature seen in a different and more understandable light. I automatically thought of the connection between literary work's
Romeo and Juliet, and
West Side Story.
Romeo and Juliet is commonly known as this vigorous love story between a girl and a boy who's love is separated by their rivaling families. Juliet, on the Capulet side and Romeo, a Montague, are forced to have this famously known "forbidden love." In the play
West Side Story, there is almost the same exact set up, just much more modernly played out. The two rivaling families that we once knew in Romeo and Juliet become the Jets and the Sharks, two New York City rival gangs. When Tony, a former member of the Jets meets Maria, sister to Shark's leader Bernardo,
their love becomes very visible and unstoppable. They begin to meet in secret to keep their love strong and away from harm. In both plays, there is always that talk about that 'last straw' confrontational fight/battle as well. I read Romeo and Juliet in middle school and saw
West Side Story through theatre and through literary passages. I automatically related and thought of
Romeo and Juliet when reading/watching
West Side Story, which made it much more familiar and classic.
I believe that
West Side Story was purposely based off of
Romeo and Juliet and the intertextuality was supposed to be fairly clear. I think that they both illuminated one another and made thinking back on
Romeo and Juliet more interesting and enjoyable.
