Westside Story Essay, Research Paper

Romeo & Juliet and Westside Story

The plays Romeo and Juliet and Westside Story have many

similarities and differences. One major compare and contrast in the two,

are the main characters. Tony, one of the main male characters in

Westside Story, is comparable to Romeo; Maria of Westside Story, is

comparable to Juliet. Some of the other comparable characters include:

Anita to the nurse, Riff to Mercutio, and Bernardo to Tybalt.

Tony and Romeo have many similarities, however, there are also

some differences. They both fall in love with a girl from a totally different

social group. Both of the men are in groups that are rivals of the group

that their lover is in. When Romeo confides in his friend the Friar, and

Tony to the candy store owner, both men have a similar reaction but

agree to help in any way possible. When Romeo gets married to Juliet,

the Friar marries them. When Tony marries Maria, they say their vows to

each other, with nobody else around. Also, in Romeo and Juliet, the Friar

works out the plan for them to be together. In Westside Story, it is Maria

and Tony the make up the plan. At the end of A Westside Story Tony is

killed by Chino, who is compared to Paris. However, in Romeo and Juliet

it is Romeo who kills Paris.

Maria, of Westside Story, is also much like Juliet. However, there

are more differences between Juliet and Maria, than there are between

Romeo and Tony. Maria, instead of having a nurse, has her friend, Anita,

who helped her through her youth. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet fakes her

death by drinking a potion given to her by the Friar, and awaits Romeo in

the family tomb. In Westside Story, Maria becomes angry, because she

is told that Tony was killed by Chino; when in fact, Tony was still alive.

When Maria heard the news of Tony s death, she went looking for Chino

to kill her, too. To Maria s surprise, while she is searching the streets for

Chino, she finds Tony, who is then shot and killed by Chino. The biggest

difference between Maria and Juliet, is that in the end of Romeo and

Juliet, Juliet commits suicide when she finds Romeo dead. Whereas, in

Westside Story, Maria is never killed. She does, however, plead to be

killed also, so she could be with Tony, as well as, threatening to kill all the

men that had anything to do with the violence.

The other comparable characters were harder to notice the

differences because they did not have such large parts. However, there

are still major differences and similarities. Riff, being compared to

Mercutio, was sort of the leader. He was also the first to be killed within

the gang. Bernardo, being compared to Tybalt, had a hot temper, and

became violent easily. Bernardo was Maria s cousin, and Tybalt was

Juliet s cousin. Bernardo was killed in the rumble, and so was Tybalt.

Finally, there are many comparisons and contrasts between the

two plays. Between characters, as well as plot. Although some of them

are very small, they make the two very much different.