The appeal of West Side Story can be largely contributed to two defining elements. First and foremost, it is a musical filled with beautiful ballads, riveting choreography, and enchanting characters. It is also, and just as importantly, a historically significant re-telling of Shakespeare’s classic Romeo and Juliet. The two works utilize many of the same themes and plot devices, but the scenarios, reasoning, and social climate surrounding the events are very different each story. While there are many remakes and adaptations of Romeo and Juliet, West Side Story is one of the most successful and certainly holds its own as one of the most beloved musicals of the golden age.

The literary world is pretty much in agreement that Romeo and Juliet is one of the most famous works ever written. Therefore, it is not surprising that its list of remakes, re-tellings, and adaptations is essentially endless and ever-growing. Perhaps the most famous movie adaptation is Franco Zeffirelli’s film made in 1968, which won Best Picture, Best Director and two Academy Awards. Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 remake, though not as critically acclaimed, draws public interest due to the fact that it is set in modern day “Verona Beach” but uses the original Shakespearean dialogue (and let’s not forget a young Leonardo DiCaprio walking around in a Hawaiian shirt).

Isaac Marion’s 2010 novel Warm Bodies branches off into the science fiction genre with a zombie love story! Despite the fact that this young adult novel contains flesh-eating zombies and the possible extinction of the human race, it is considerably more light-hearted and comedic than the text on which it is based. Disney’s hit 2011 movie, Gnomeo and Juliet, turned Shakespeare’s classic tale into an animated children’s movie about two families of gnomes who both believe their garden is superior to the other. It was advertised as inspired by Romeo and Juliet, and the references throughout the film were fun and nowhere near subtle. For example, Mr. Capulet and Miss Montague are the two garden owners, the former owning a blue house and the latter a red house. And, as the title implies, the two lovers’ names are Gnomeo and Juliet. Taylor Swift’s pop song “Love Story” is an example of Romeo and Juliet themed music, but her song has a happy ending rather than a tragic one. These works are all very different but ultimately all originate from the same story. West Side Story is set apart from all of these works because it is stage musical that was originally written for and performed on Broadway. It ran for 2 years and was made into a film in 1961.

The main plot of West Side Story almost directly correlates to that of Romeo and Juliet. It was advertised as being inspired by it, so it is not surprising that many similarities exist between the two. Tony, inspired by the lovesick Romeo, is a member of the Jets but mostly tries to remain neutral between the two gangs. Even though he openly doesn’t agree with the enmity between the gangs, he is still seen as leader in the group and is respected amongst them. Maria, inspired by the innocent Juliet, is a naïve young Puerto Rican girl whose brother is a member of the Sharks. The two gangs openly hate each other and association between them is strictly prohibited. The two “star-crossed lovers” (P6) meet for the first time at a dance and are instantly taken with one another. The night ends with a balcony scene where they confess their love for one another, and Tony serenades Maria with a song entitled “Maria.” The similarities continue when the Shark’s leader (and Maria’s brother) kills Riff, the leader of the Jets and Tony’s best friend. Tony retaliates by killing Bernardo, which in turn makes Tony a target for the rest of the Sharks. Although the musical contains many of the same plot lines as Romeo and Juliet, the main differences and cultural reasoning behind the events make it unique.

Shakespeare chose to keep the reason behind the two families’ hatred a mystery, but the conflict in West Side Story stems from immigration and racial tensions that were very relevant in 1950 New York City. Rather than “fair Verona” (P2), the story is set in the 1950’s in New York City, and instead of two prominent families with an “ancient grudge” (P3), the feud exists between two rival teenage gangs fighting over control of their section of the city (the upper west side). The show very accurately highlights how difficult life initially was for Puerto Rican immigrants; Not only were they moving far away from their beloved home, but they were also moving to a place where they are openly detested and looked down upon. This relationship between the New Yorkers and Puerto Ricans is displayed between the two gangs that parallel the two families in Romeo and Juliet.  One gang, the Jets, consists of Caucasian Americans, and the other, the Sharks, consists of Puerto Rican. Maria and Tony’s relationship appears more mature than that of Romeo and Juliet, which is more out of infatuation than true love. Maria and Tony only fantasize about getting married, but they clearly love one another and intend to marry as soon as they possibly can.

The ending is the biggest difference in West Side Story because it does not end with Tony and Maria killing themselves, but it is in no way less tragic. Tony is suicidal believing Maria is dead, and he is ultimately killed by a leader of the Sharks right when he sees she is still alive and dies in her arms while she cries. Instead of killing herself afterward like Juliet, Maria prevents war from breaking out between the two gangs by holding a gun and declares,

“All of you! You all killed him! And my brother, and Riff. Not with bullets, or guns, with hate. Well now I can kill, too, because now I have hate!”

Her cries and the bloody scene before them finally make the two gangs see sense. Her bravery is ultimately what brings the feud to an end, and the show closes with everyone carrying out Tony’s body. Maria’s success at preventing a bloody fight between the two gangs is not just a silver lining at the end of a tragic love story, but also an important historical triumph over what was a very real problem back in 1950’s New York City. Tensions between Caucasian Americans and Puerto Rican immigrants was at its peak with many gangs just like the Jets and the Sharks. The fact that Maria was able to stop the violence of the two gangs proves that her and Tony’s love is more powerful than hate. It’s too bad Tony had to die for that realization.

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West Side Story, like Romeo and Juliet, is heartbreaking but beautiful. It shows that love can be found where there is hate but also how consuming and destructive that hate can be. It was inspired by and shares many of the same themes as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, but the historical significance and the (then) modern day setting in New York City make it unique. West Side Story’s beautiful narrative and execution has earned it a place at the top of the list of Romeo and Juliet inspired works.

Works Cited

Gnomeo & Juliet. Touchstone, 2011.

Lehman, Ernest, and Arthur Laurents. West Side Story. The Mirisch Corporation, 1961.

Levine, Jonathan. Warm Bodies. Lionsgate, 2013.

Luhrmann, Baz. Romeo and Juliet. Bazmark Productions, 1996

Marion, Isaac. Warm Bodies: A Novel. Atria, 2012.

Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Edited by Rene Weis, Arden Shakespeare, 2012.  

Zeffirelli, Franco. Romeo and Juliet. BHE Films Verona Produzione, 1968