by Fionnuala Jones

Created on: April 24, 2009   Last Updated: April 27, 2009

The great bard, William Shakespeare, created such a timeless piece in "Romeo and Juliet" that it has been re-created over and over again in the centuries since he died. The central themes of individuality, fate and, most importantly, love are still as relevant today in the 21st century as they were back then in Verona, and most people will relate to at least one of the characters, be it the rebellious young man, the anxious parent or the besotted little girl. It is perhaps these reasons, or just our weakness for a good love story, that have made it so suitable to be used in modern remakes and different spin-offs.

The most obvious recreations of the play are the films themselves, from the original George Cukor film starring Norma Shearer through to the modern Baz Luhrman version starring Claire Danes and Leonardo DiCaprio. In between, there have been at least 30 recordings, some for TV, some in different languages, and including a ballet featuring Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in the title roles. The Baz Luhrman film is most notable for its modern setting, the action taking place on Verona Beach with gangs and guns taking the place of feuding families and swords.

The success of this hugely popular play has also managed to translate to the stage in musical form, with the music and lyrics of Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim complementing the story of Maria and Tony, two young lovers living in New York and separated by the rival gangs, the Jets and the Sharks. Unlike the original play, it is only the Romeo character, Tony, who dies at the end while Maria lives.

A less widely known story, that has nevertheless received massive acclaim is Malorie Blackman's novel "Nought and Crosses". It follows two young teenagers, Persephone (Sephy) and Callum, and their battle to be together in the fictional racist dystopia in which they live. Sephy is a member of the dominant race (Crosses, who have black skin) and she is forbidden to spend time with Callum, who has white skin and is a nought. Again, it is only Callum that dies at the end, leaving Sephy pregnant with their child.

Most recently, Taylor Swift, award-winning country/pop singer-songwriter, released a single entitled "Love Story" which contains numerous references to "Romeo and Juliet". It starts at a party, as in the play, and she calls the boy she loves and herself Romeo and Juliet, respectively. It also contains the lyrics "And my daddy said, stay away from Juliet'". Consequently they are forced to see each other in secret but, taking a turn away from the original plot, neither character dies and they are eventually allowed to be together, avoiding the fate of the original star-cross'd lovers'.

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