Introduction
Background:
In the 14th and 15th centuries, William Shakespeare was one of the biggest play writers of the time. Born in 1564, he was the son of a middle-class glove maker in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. He attended a grammar school but then could not afford to continue on with his education. He had 3 childern with Anne Hathaway (not to be confused with the actress). He left his family for London and soon became one of the most popular playwrights in London. He was a favorite of Elizabeth I (reigned 1558-1603) and James I (ruled 1603–1625). James I granted Shakespeare's company, Globe Theater, the highest honor by giving it the title of The King's Men. Shakespeare died in Stratford in 1616 at the age of 52. He wrote thirty-seven plays and 154 sonnets.
Shakespeare did not come up with the story of Romeo and Juliet. It was first brought to the English language by Arthur Brooks in the form of a poem Romeus and Juliet. To an English-speaking audience in a long and plodding poem that was itself not original, but rather an adaptation of adaptations that stretched across nearly a hundred years and two languages. Many details in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juilet are directly taken from Brook's works. Such appropriation of other stories is characteristic of Shakespeare, who often wrote plays based on earlier works.
However, this does not mean that Romeo and Juliet is completely unoriginal. It is the reader's job to take notice of how Shakespeare uses his resources in new and creative ways and his literary style. Also the characterizations, such as Mercutio whom is almost wholly thought up by William Shakespeare himself.
Shakespeare's play not only bears a resemblance to the works on which it is based, it is also quite similar in plot, theme, and dramatic ending to the story of Pyramus and Thisbe, told by the great Roman poet Ovid in hisMetamorphoses. Shakespeare was well aware of this similarity; he includes a reference to Thisbe in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare also includes scenes from the story of Pyramus and Thisbe in the comically awful play-within-a-play put on by Bottom and his friends in A Midsummer Night's Dream—a play Shakespeare wrote around the same time he was composing Romeo and Juliet. Indeed, one can look at the play-within-a-play in A Midsummer Night's Dream as parodying the very story that Shakespeare seeks to tell in Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet in full knowledge that the story he was telling was old, clichéd, and an easy target for parody. In writing Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare, then, implicitly set himself the task of telling a love story despite the considerable forces he knew were stacked against its success. Through the incomparable intensity of his language Shakespeare succeeded in this effort, writing a play that is universally accepted in Western culture as the preeminent, archetypal love story.
Cast:
Romeo- Genesis
Juliet- Cloud
Friar Lawrence- Hollander
Mercutio- Rufus
The Nurse- Zack
Paris- Sephiroth
Benvolio- Angeal
Tybalt- Zack
Capulet- Hojo
Montague- Vincent
Lady Capulet- Lucrecia
Lady Montague- Yuffie
Prince Escalus- Pres. Shinra
Friar John- Reeve
Balthazar- Weiss
Sampson- Kunsel
Gregory- Luxiere
Abram- Nero
Apothecary- Gast
Peter- Reno
Rosaline- Cissnei
A/N: Just some background for you.
All information was taken from Spark notes and was reworded except the last paragraph which is just word for word. I couldn't reword that to save my life.
Yes, I realize that I am just retelling Romeo and Juliet, using characters from Final Fantasy VII. Some of the lines will be used are directly from the play.
The cast here is set and I will let you know if anything major changes in the next few chapters.
Also, to make it easier to understand, I am using modern day language.
This is my first time attempting something like this, but I'll tell you this. The story will pretty much remain the same. If they died in the play, they will die here, etc.
One more question, should this be in the crossover section? I can change it if that's where it's supposed to be but I'm not certain.