- Both Maria and Juliet are teenage girls who fall in love with someone they are forbidden to love.
- Maria and Juliet are passionate individuals who are willing to risk their lives for their love.
- Both characters share a tragic fate as they both end up dying. They represent the themes of fate, tragic love, and the sacrifices made in the pursuit of love.
Differences
- Maria is a Puerto Rican girl living in New York City, while Juliet is an Italian girl living in Verona, Italy.
- Maria's love interest, Tony, is a member of a rival gang, while Juliet's love interest, Romeo, is from a rival family.
- Maria and Tony are from different social backgrounds (Tony comes from a gang-ridden family, Maria is from a respectable one), while Juliet and Romeo are from equally wealthy and respected families.
- Maria and Tony's relationship is fraught with conflict, while Juliet and Romeo's relationship is more idyllic.
- Maria and Tony are aware of the consequences of their relationship, while Juliet and Romeo are not, at least initially.
- Maria and Tony attempt to escape but do not succeed, while Juliet and Romeo commit suicide.