Romeo and Juliet the 20th century, these moral arguments were disputed by critics such as Richard Green Moulton: he argued that accident, and not some character flaw, led to the lovers' deaths. In "Romeo and Juliet", Shakespeare employs several dramatic techniques that have garnered praise from critics; most notably the abrupt shifts from comedy to tragedy (an example is the punning exchange between Benvolio and Mercutio just before Tybalt arrives). Before Mercutio's death in Act three, the play is largely a comedy. After his accidental demise, the play suddenly becomes serious and takes on a tragic tone. When Romeo is banished, rather than
Romeo and Juliet (1964 film) harmed Shakespeare more than Zeffirelli". Romeo and Juliet (1964 film) Romeo and Juliet () is a 1964 film directed and written by Riccardo Freda. Riccardo Freda maintained that it was himself who had the idea to adapt "Romeo and Juliet", having been an admirer of William Shakespeare since his youth and that he convinced Goffredo Lombardo who had gone bankrupt after the production of "Sodom and Gomorrah" to create the production company Imprecine and set up a co-production deal with Spain for this film and "Genoveffa di Brabante". Other sources such as Stefano Della Casa state that Freda was commissioned