In the streets and apartments of New York City, and in the roads and castles of Verona, we witness the story of two love struck opposites who are molded and trapped in a world of social differences. This is the basis behind William Shakespeare and Arthur Laurent's works, West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet. Although written hundreds of years apart, both pieces posses similar aspects, but yet have unique individuality.
Heroism, young love, and hatred are just some of the common themes that are expressed in both pieces. West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet both have their share of tragic heroes. The characters in Romeo and Juliet are tragic heroes because they are basically good human beings who must suffer and loose all that they have because of the flaws in their character. In the West Side Story, Tony is an example of the tragic hero because he also gave his life to be with the one he loved. Both plots are centered around the same young love of opposite members of society. The young girl from the Capulets/Jets with protective parents falls in love with the young boy from the Montague/Sharks. The two works share the young love concept, in that both authors incorporate the immaturity of the couple in their situation. Another theme that can be clearly identified in the two is hatred. The hatred between the Jets/Sharks and the Capulets/Montague effects the characters, the way they interact with each other, and the way they respond to their situations. Readers can see how the ignorance of their hatred causes the frequent uprisings and "brawls". As the characters develop and mature, the reader can also see how they put their hatred aside when both loose one of their own.
Literary techniques are essential in the way a story is presented and interpreted. Both works also use similar literary techniques. Foreshadowing is one of the first techniques noticed. The two authors use foreshadowing to tell what is soon to come.