Project #4: Rewrite the Ending
You are a playwright and have just been commissioned to rewrite the ending of Romeo and Juliet.
First, you must decide whether you want to transform Romeo and Juliet into a comedy or a parody, or to create an alternative tragic ending. Remember, Romeo has already purchased the poison and Juliet is in the midst of her 42-hour sleep in the Capulet's tomb. You may write a dramatic script, a prose ending, or a proposal for your rewrite. You may set it in any historical era.
*A COMEDY is basically a story that ends happily ever after. If you would like to create a comic ending, check out these web sites for some ideas:
Contrast between Tragedy and Comedy
What happens after Happily Ever After? A poem by Maxine Kumin entitled Purgatory
Brief Example of a Comic Ending
*A PARODY is the imitation of the work to make it seem ridiculous, like a cartoon caricature. If you would like to create a parody, check out these web sites:
Cyber-parody of Romeo and Juliet
A 1920s Gangster Version of Romeo and Juliet
*If you would like to create an alternative TRAGIC ending, check out these web sites:
*If you want help remembering the plot, click here for a scene-by-scene synopsis
*If you want to find a certain line in the play, click here for a searchable version of Romeo and Juliet