A symbol is defined as a mark or character used as a conventional representation of an object, function, or process. The film adaptations of Romeo and Juliet all narrate a common symbol. The idea of concealing one’s identity by disguises, masks and other inanimate objects can almost reverse the first impression of someone, especially the star-crossed lovers of Romeo and Juliet. In the films, the portrayal of characters is much different in their personalities and time periods. But the message of the symbols is the same. The directors all take similar paths into the world of symbolism, but within those paths, the symbols all come back to define themselves as the same. Baz Luhrmann, Franco Zeffirelli, and Kelly Asbury all demonstrate through a fish tank, masks, and a purple flower that distorted views create different appearances that conceal who …show more content…
Since a fish tank is usually filled with water and is surrounded by glass, it is hard to see who someone is on the other side. The fish tank creates a distorted view of Juliet when Romeo first meets her and This symbolizes the uncommon bond between them and also creates a different view of each other. This choice made by Luhrmann shows that he wanted the two lovers to not identify what family they are from, but just identify themselves as they are. The water from the fish tank creates a watery image that only withholds the surface image of someone, not anything else. This means that the water symbolizes a cleansing or cleaning of sins. In this case, the water that Romeo and Juliet both used to rise their faces defined this meaning of clarity. This clarity, in a way, opened the minds of the two lovers to each other therefore creating the bond that formed between them. Ultimately, this unique bond between Romeo and Juliet was formed by the fish tank and was not formed by