The world where the snatches of life are told in the most whimsical and extraordinary way, the theater is a world of its own, not merely a copy of the reality. With the help of a number of means, the theater allows to view the stories one might have read in a book from a different position, offering a viewpoint that one have never thought to exist.
Offering their own interpretation of the famous story, the actors help the audience to see the versatility of ideas that may strike as one reconsiders the famous and even somewhat hackneyed plot. Taking the famous Romeo and Juliet play as an example, one can see distinctly that there are a number of ways to tell the story that has become a ritual one.
Considering the plot itself and the replicas of the main characters, one can offer a plethora of ways to interpret the monologues and dialogues, as well as a countless number of ways to convey the message of the replicas to the public.
Speaking of the plot in general, one can see distinctly that the given performance can be conducted in several ways to emphasize certain ideas and change them from subtle to explicit.
For instance, the images of Romeo and Juliet can be shown as either moving and timid, for, like most Shakespearean characters, they are as romantic as they can be, or as decisive and reckless souls that are ready to fight for their love and are ready to face even death if the latter will join them together forever and ever: on the one hand, there is the romantic.
O sweet Juliet, thy beauty hath made me effeminate and in my temper soften’d valour’s steel! (Shakespeare).
However, on the other hand, the decisive “This day’s black fate on more days doth depend/This but begins the woe, others must end (Shakespeare)” can be sounded in the most impressive and threatening way. Thus, the image of Romeo can vary from a mild to even an iron-clad one, which is essential for the perception of the play.
Another idea of the tragedy that can be interpreted in various ways and, thus, predetermines a number of peculiar ways to perform the scene, is the famous words “My only love sprung from my only hate!
Too early seen unknown, and known too late! (Shakespeare),” which can express regret, a deep sorrow, and even disappointment.
Depending on the way the actress is going to word these lines, Juliet, one of the lead characters, can be portrayed as a lighthearted, romantic or obviously tragic character, which is extremely important for the further development of the play. Therefore, one must admit that theatrical performance allows the ritual story to obtain the specific shades and additional meanings.
Hence, it cannot be denied that the theater is a world where with help of the performance, one can tell a ritual story is a countless number of ways.
With help of the artistic interpretations, a single story, Romeo and Juliet in the given case, can offer a variety of ideas to the public, which is quite impressive and doubtlessly enticing. Therefore, it can be concluded that the theater is, indeed, a ritual story that has been conveyed to the audience with the help of the actors’ performance.