What if Romeo and Juliet had to be told according to the rules of Greek Theatre?

You know the story of Oedipus and you know the rules of Greek Theatre we’ve looked at the limits those rules placed on the telling of the story. For instance, it had to start less than an hour before its end, and it had to move in unbroken time. It could not show any violent episodes from the story.

You know the plot of Romeo and Juliet, which demonstrates that Renaissance Theatre was very different. What if Romeo and Juliet had to be told according to the rules of Greek Theatre (one setting, continuous time, no violence, etc. etc.)? That’s the topic of this essay. Of course it would cause enormous problems, but why? Be specific about what would be lost, what would be distorted. Romeo and Juliet has been a perennial crowd-pleaser for over three centuries… how would a version written according to Greek rules affect an audience?

Suggestion: it would be a good idea in your introduction to mention that there were these two very different styles of theatre, Greek and Renaissance… then give a very quick synopsis of Romeo and Juliet, written for the Renaissance style. THEN present a Thesis Statement about what the effect on a modern audience might be if Romeo and Juliet had to be told in the Greek style. (Would they be bored? more excited? more confused?)