The environment surrounding the star-crossed lovers in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can influence the audience who may interpret the scenes in different ways. The audience can be strongly influenced in their interpretation of the story by the staging, costumes and hidden symbolic meaning. This great piece of literature was edited into two unique and intriguing forms, one directed by Zeferelli and filmed in 1968, and the modern version produced in 1996. The different scenes throughout the duration of the party were the most influential for me as I view. how different these films were directed and the different meaning I experienced watching these films. Focusing on the environment of the scenes and the costumes helped me in my interpretation, because I found the hidden symbolism in these two qualities. In the 1996 film version of Romeo and Juliet, the interior and exterior design of the palace helped create a certain symbolism. An exhilarating explosion of fireworks in the sky helped create an intense party scene. Beautiful colors were reflected throughout the scene. These different rays of color were reflected on the faces of the actors and actresses. Music was also used to heighten this scene. The song “Young Hearts Run Free” was appropriate, as it produced an irony of how Romeo and Juliet would meet that night. The exterior of the Capulet palace was adorned with red banners hanging from the windows. The white lights stringing along the palm trees showed elegance. The interior design of the house focused on a huge staircase and in the background the walls were painted red. The frames hanging on the wall were edged with gold trim, and near the stairs were two unusual golden statues, half-man, half-fish. The director's choice of lights and music helped create a true party scene with the liveliness it brought. . The explosion of fireworks in the sky could be interpreted as an explosion of lust that would later occur between Romeo and Juliet. I also found that the use of fireworks in the sky emphasized the stars, and Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers of their time. The coloring of red and gold helped make the Capulet house exceptional and showed royalty and wealth to the public. The statues that stood on each side of the staircase and represented half man and half fish, showed the controversy of how a man is divided from being masculine to being directed towards femininity or romance..