West Side Story West Side Story is a modern novel version of Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. The two main characters are Polish boy named Tony and Puerta Rican girl named Maria. Maria is Bernardo’s sister, the leader of a street gang named the Sharks. The Sharks are a Puerto Rican gang.
Tony isa member of the Jets, the rival white gang of the Sharks wanting to keep Puerto Ricans out. The beginning starts as both gangs gather at a local dance. There, Tony and Maria meet and fall in love. They both know that their love is dangerous and begin to meet in secret. They continue meeting for a few weeks. When a street fight breaks out between the Sharks and the Jets, Tony intervenes in hopes of putting an end to the senseless fighting.
Despite his intentions, Tony is pulled into the fight as he witnesses his best friend, Riff, killed by Bernardo. Tony murders Bernardo, like Shakespeare’s Tybaltkilling Mercurio, and Romeo avenging him. Tony becomes a fugitive and plans to escape with Maria. Tony is told that Maria has died. Not wanting to live without Maria, Tony comes out of hiding and reveals himself to the Sharks.
Avenging Bernardo’s death, Chino shoots and kills Tony on sight, just at the moment Tony and Maria are reunited. The dramatic difference between West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet is that Maria is left alive to deal with Tony’s death. Maria and Tony both were victims of racism, intolerance, and mistrust. Racism was shown to be uncompromising and unforgiving. This story was a lot more believable too.
The Essay on West Side Story Tony Maria Juliet
... and Juliet, Romeo kills Tybalta, Juliet's cousin. In West Side Story, Tony kills Bernardo, Maria's brother. Together the movie version won 12 Academy awards ... street gang. The head of the Jets, Riff swears to drive out the Sharks, lead by Bernardo, from the streets ... with a danced prologue indicating the tension between the Sharks, a gang of young Puerto Ricans, and the Jets, an American ...
