William Shakespeare in Popular Culture Explicit Sex in Three Adaptations of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet

Abstract

What does it mean for Shakespeare’s assigned high cultural image, which many critics and observers assign authority to, when popular culture, the opposite of what Shakespeare stands for, adapted his plays? On the basis of the theories revolving around Shakespeare’s high cultural image as presented by Lanier, and Burt’s theories on Shakespeare in relation to pornography, the three films are to be analysed. The first film is a Dutch production by the name of Phileine Zegt Sorry, which in itself questions the boundaries of aesthetic representation. The second film offered up for analysis is Lloyd Kaufman’s Tromeo and Juliet. This film is riddled with sex scenes, including lesbian sex and incest, considered by Burt as example of “‘Shakespeare porn’” (83). The final film to be studied is Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, which shows the deeper layers and aesthetic appreciation of Shakespeare. While intercourse is not directly displayed, the context indicates that the lovers have sexual contact throughout. Together, these three films, all very different adaptations, should provide a conclusive response to the research question.