Hey Baz?! Baz! Did you see that?
Leo, I was sitting right next to you.
They killed them! They killed Romeo & Juliet!
Have you never read the play?
It was a play?
...
...
Leo, even if you didn't know the play, any observant viewer could have predicted that they were going to die.
What?
Well, throughout the play, scenes involving Romeo and Juliet's love happen at night and scenes that represent their families conflicts and try to separate their love happen in the day.
I won the tickets in a raffle. I'm not here to write an essay.
Anyways, this is different because day usually symbolizes good things while night symbolizes bad things.
And you're saying that because they've switched, we could've seen this coming all along?
Exactly. The inversion foreshadows the plays switch from a romance to a tragedy.
Haha, whatever you say, Baz.
Here, let me show you
Uh, why did you show that to me?
I showed you that because it's the first scene where Romeo and Juliet meet. This act takes place at night and contrast's societies perception of day and night.
Oh my, a party at night! I've never heard of a party that happens at night! All parties are at night, knucklehead.
Okay, you're right, I guess. But so many things could have happened during that party, and out of all the possible things that could happen, Romeo meets Juliet. It's almost like it's destiny.
Wait, but isn't it-
Moving on, Lord Capulet helps Romeo and Juliet get together, even if it's unintentional.
Okay, but this is, like, one scene. It's probably just a coincidence.
But wait, there's more!
Why dost thou stay?
Alright, so we've been through what, two scenes? Shakespeare associated positive events with night. Remember when Romeo and Juliet fell in love? When did that happen?
During the night.
And what happened during the day? Tybalt kills Mercutio and Romeo kills Tybalt. Once day starts chaos ensues.
So that's what you meant when you said that Shakespeare switches day and night?
Exactly, Leo. The audience expects happy days and uncomfortable nights because it's become a literary norm, but Shakespeare flips this, giving day the dangerous characteristics of night and night the happier characteristics of day.
Yeah, but... Baz, how am I supposed to tell that Romeo and Juliet kill themselves at the end?
The beginning of the story is solely about there romance, so what else would Shakespeare reverse besides this.
More light and light, more dark and dark our woes.
Shakespeare could not be more obvious here. Juliet pretends it's night just so Romeo would stay because with the day comes his banishment.
Who's there? (To himself) That's weird, that movie ended 30 minutes ago.
We need to leave! Someone's coming! Quick! Hide!
No, no, we're staying. You wanted to show me all this day and night stuff, so I'm playing the last scene! You can't stop me!
Get down!
Wait, but wasn't night supposed to be happy? What just happened?
Just watch the whole thing through.
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.
Ok, do you get it now? All this night and day inversion and foreshadowing has led to this final moment. Romeo and Juliet die, yeah. Is it a tragedy? Yeah. But this nighttime tragedy is not only tragic, the resolution is bittersweet. The families make peac
Well... now that you put it that way...
SECURITY GUARD, entering and tripping
Who are you?
Who am I? Who are you?
I'm Baz. Baz Luhrmann, and I'm working on a new movie.