Manga Romeo and Juliet: In-Class

The manga Panels don’t really clarify Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, nor does it make the story more interesting. The character’s lines don’t always make sense. For example, on the second page, Romeo’s father says, “We would as willingly give cure as know.” I’m not quite sure I understand what he’s trying to say there. His wife, who stands beside him on this panel looks as though her only role in this graphic text is to attract attention with her sex appeal. Underneath Romeo’s parents is a depiction of Juliet’s parents. Her father says here, “Death is my son-in-law.” In Shakespeare’s story however, neither parent’s know of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. Therefore the manga text does not clarify the story. An observation of these two panels is also the character placement. Both mothers stand behind their husbands. There is a clear status representation here. In this version Romeo seems to be a Rockstar, which he clearly is not in neither the 1996 Hollywood movie version, nor in Shakespeare’s original play.
The manga version takes on it’s own interpretations of the characters, as well as it added some features, while it still uses some of Shakespeare’s language, mixed in with some modern phrases.