Is Jackson using opera as another “red herring?
Probably not. Although the chosen pieces are charged with emotion, there is nothing light or ‘camp’ about them. In every case, there are enormous parallels between the original context of the pieces and their context in “Heavenly Creatures.” And the lyrics are not used ironically or in any way with tongue in cheek. These pieces paint a consistent picture, both in emotional tone and in explicit lyrics, namely that of a deep, romantic and tragic passion experienced by Pauline for Juliet. These pieces say that Pauline was desperately in love with Juliet.
