Do I Detect a Hint of...Shakespeare?

I am probably going way out on a limb here, but does the story of Babun and Punchi Menika remind anyone else of Romeo and Juliet? We have two families that don't see eye to eye, a balcony scene that happens to take place in the jungle, and a father, Silindu, who says his daughter is too young to be given to a man.

First of all, the two families in Village in the Jungle share striking similarities with their Shakespearean counterparts. Nanchohami berates Babun, saying, "'Twill be a fine thing in the village to hear that the headman has given his wife and daughters to Rodiyas, leopards, jackals!" (42). Her scorn for Silindu and his family brings to mind the invectives tossed between the Capulets and Montagues during the fight scene of Act I, scene i.

Secondly, what I'm calling the balcony scene: in the Shakespearean version, Romeo and Juliet don't actually consummate their relationship, they just poetically swoon and make promises of their love. While Babun and Punchi Menika appear to have consummated their relationship, the scenes are still similar--apparently, we find out later, Punchi Menika has made some promises of her own: "Appochchi! it is true: I said I would go with him...I gave my word: what can I do?" (47). So we also have a scene where the young lovers make the exciting discovery of their love for each other, and vow to be together forever.

Finally, we have the Sinhalese Lord Capulet, whose main argument when Babun requests his daughter's hand is that she is too young to be married. He says to Babun, "The girl is too young. I cannot give her to you, or evil will come of it" (45). This is the very same argument Lord Capulet makes to Paris when he requested the hand of Juliet.

Obviously, there are differences between the two stories; I'm not arguing for complete congruence here. I just thought it was interesting to note the similarities, as it leads me to wonder if the ending for Babun and Punchi Menika will be the same tragic, suicidal end Shakespeare's lovers meet.