Romeo and Juliet
discussion
Why does anyone like this?
Well.. I like it because it is genius work, you can't argue about that, Shakespeare was one of a kind writer, and i love all his works. He and this story inspired me.. (maybe because i was only 12 years old when i read it, but i understood it perfectly). This story is one of greatests works of literature created in that century, and still to this day millions of people love this story.
I definitely prefer to read his other works much more than Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed Hamlet much more due to the wittiness of Hamlet and Ophelia's descent into madness. Romeo and Juliet just didn't intrigue me as much as Hamlet did. I understand the importance of this particular play, but if given the choice I'd choose another of his works than this one to read.
Jonathan wrote: "To be honest, Don't read the book. In fact, I may be stepping on some toes here but the truth of the matter is that before you ever read a Shakespeare play, Watch it. See a movie, go to the play, e..."Agree 100%. I was assigned R & J in Freshman high school and while I didn't find it that difficult to read (I had been raised on a steady diet of King James scripture)and I enjoyed it. But I didn't fall in love with Shakespeare until I SAW performances of his work. It was meant to be seen and felt first. Thankfully, my high school English teacher showed us the Franco Zeffirelli production of R & J and created a fan for life.
I honestly believe that most people who don't enjoy Shakespeare, probably don't fully understand the outdated language which in fact is quite complex, with a constant play on words, riddles, double entendres, underlying meanings and so forth. Also, while Romeo and Juliet & Hamlet may be amongst the more famous of his plays, they're also dramas and perhaps not the best place to start. Personally I prefer his comedies which not only have complicated plots, but are also wickedly funny. Furthermore, I agree that Shakespeare should be watched rather than read since this is how they were intended to be experienced, and if the rendition is good, then I can't really imagine anyone not loving it. Try Kenneth Branagh's version of Much ado about Nothing for instance - it's wonderful!
I don't enjoy Shakespeare's plays either. A lot are tragic stories that are really depressing.
First off its Shakespeare, a lit genius, then its the story it self, epic forbidden love story tragedy. what more is there to say. plus when reading any of Shakespeare's play there are funny parts, sexual parts, happy and sad parts in his play, but one most know how to understand his writing. All through out high school english for me we did Shakespeare at least once a year. It was my favorite part in class, since i never really liked english class, the subject itself. But doing Shakespeare I enjoyed it. I also understood the writing which most of my peers didnt, they always got the sparknote/ original text version, I got the original, I didnt need the help of plain english version. But most of Shakespeare's play are a tragedy since when he wrote them there was a lot of tragedy around him from losing his wife then his kids, that will be hard on a person. but he put all of that into his wonderful plays that will be read over and over again making him a legend in English lit.
Yes, I love Romeo and Juliet. But I also understand Shakespeare and the brilliance of his words. Those who are not so much into the language itself or are not well-versed in Shakespeare may not enjoy it as much. The story itself is also good, because it's a tragedy that many can relate to. There's a reason it's been copied so many times.
Sophie wrote: "I honestly believe that most people who don't enjoy Shakespeare, probably don't fully understand the outdated language which in fact is quite complex, with a constant play on words, riddles, double..."I agree with you about the comedies being more fun to read. Personally, I like the language of Shakespeare's plays, and he uses some really good literary devices in Romeo and Juliet but I didn't like the story itself, which is why I didn't enjoy reading or watching it.
Well um... I like Romeo and Juliet... And generally I'm not a fan of love stories. In fact, they usually just annoy me. But this one has a great plot, and I don't really feel obligated to like it. I went into the story prepared to be bored out of my mind, but I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe you should have an open mind towards it and try again, I know that's worked for me on several occasions. Just a thought! :] Good luck!
I mean, I like it for the world's most obvious reason--it's hilarious and tragic. Romeo's an idiot. Juliette's naive. They both act in the least responsible ways, and it, inevitably, explodes in their faces. And the writing's beautiful. All the characters are believable and lovable. There are sword fights. What more could you want?So the short answer is that I like it for the entertainment value.
Emily wrote: "Alright, so if you didn't detect the tone of the title, I really can't stand this book. All it does is make me raging mad, and it's one of my least favorite reads ever.
But I'm not here to rant (..."
I like this book becasue it shows hoe they were doomed feom the begining. There destiniy had been sealed so to speak from the start of the book. However even though they are doomed they still fight to be together even if there only together in death. oh dont get me wrong I would hate it if this was nonfiction but since its fiction I like it!
But I'm not here to rant (..."
I like this book becasue it shows hoe they were doomed feom the begining. There destiniy had been sealed so to speak from the start of the book. However even though they are doomed they still fight to be together even if there only together in death. oh dont get me wrong I would hate it if this was nonfiction but since its fiction I like it!
John wrote: "Shakespeare was a genius and his influence on literature, society and culture is unarguable.
With that said it is much better to "see" a play written by Shakespeare than to read it. You cannot inf..."
I love that quote
With that said it is much better to "see" a play written by Shakespeare than to read it. You cannot inf..."
I love that quote
V.E. wrote: "Wayne wrote: ""I really dislike this story. It is a horrible love story and I thought both Romeo and Juliet was stupid. Shakespeare's writing wasn't even that great in this play compared to his oth..."
your totaly right Romeo and Juliet were stupid to kill them selves but if they had not commited suicide this story would not be as memorable as it is.
your totaly right Romeo and Juliet were stupid to kill them selves but if they had not commited suicide this story would not be as memorable as it is.
I think I like it because I can relate to the struggle between what you can have according to society, your family, even inside yourself, and what you want - teenage angst?? No, I think it's more than that - it's that sense of free will - that something or someone is standing in your path and you have to make the choice to blame them for being there or accept your destiny and fight - and in the course of this is the introspective analysis of why making the choices you are - for all the right or wrong reasons....
i thought it was pretty cool because it's the only book where there's instalove but you don't get annoyed with it. (well, it's kind of hard to tell that theres instalove in the first place)
Why does anyone not like this?
Emily wrote: "Alright, so if you didn't detect the tone of the title, I really can't stand this book. All it does is make me raging mad, and it's one of my least favorite reads ever.
But I'm not here to rant (t..."
You are so right. Answer: I don't. I don't give a f*ck about Shakespeare or stories where the only two truly outstanding characters die in the middle or where the title characters are whiny, immature drama royalty, NOT the world's greatest fictional couple*. To be truly, brutally honest, there are much better books out there.
*That award goes to Catherine and Heathcliff, thanks very much.
But I'm not here to rant (t..."
You are so right. Answer: I don't. I don't give a f*ck about Shakespeare or stories where the only two truly outstanding characters die in the middle or where the title characters are whiny, immature drama royalty, NOT the world's greatest fictional couple*. To be truly, brutally honest, there are much better books out there.
*That award goes to Catherine and Heathcliff, thanks very much.
People just don't understand the message. People think Romeo and Juliet is just about two kids who kill themselves, which, I'll admit, does not sound appealing. It is much more than that. Plus, I doubt half of you have even read the play or seen it preformed.
Leah wrote: "People just don't understand the message. People think Romeo and Juliet is just about two kids who kill themselves, which, I'll admit, does not sound appealing. It is much more than that. Plus, I d..."
I read the play, happy?
I read the play, happy?
Brooke wrote: "Leah wrote: "People just don't understand the message. People think Romeo and Juliet is just about two kids who kill themselves, which, I'll admit, does not sound appealing. It is much more than th..."Then you're part of the half that has read it. Congrats.
How can not anyone get the book? Can't you get the despair and and the tragedy? It is about Romeo and Juliet who come from a family side that is feuding. They fall in love but it is hard since their side of family is feuding. They go through dangers to be together but it wasn't a happy ending. Romeo killed himself because he thought that Juliet was dead but sh wasn't. Then Juliet killed herself because she couldn't imagine her life without Romeo. They both died for love. Of course it is a classic but it is a classic that is memorable.
Ariel wrote: "How can not anyone get the book? Can't you get the despair and and the tragedy? It is about Romeo and Juliet who come from a family side that is feuding. They fall in love but it is hard since thei..."
Died for lust is more like it.
Died for lust is more like it.
This question isn't attacking Shakespeare as a person or his work in entirety, just this specific play Romeo and Juliet. In response, I thoroughly enjoy many of Shakespeare's works, but absolutely agree that Romeo and Juliet is deplorable!!!! Can't stand it!!!!! It also gave me a giggle when in a recent meeting I had with one of my university lecturers who is a Shakespeare scholar and expert, he admitted to me that he absolutely hates Romeo and Juliet as well hahaha!!!
Elise wrote: "This question isn't attacking Shakespeare as a person or his work in entirety, just this specific play Romeo and Juliet. In response, I thoroughly enjoy many of Shakespeare's works, but absolutely ..."
Yay!
Yay!
Krystal wrote: "I personally can't stand Shakespeare. I really think that the only reason why people like him, is because they are taught to like him. Romeo and Juliet is something that I just can't stand. I don't..."
Awwww. :(
Awwww. :(
Well too bad for you guys who hate it, you're missing out on important pieces of history and culture.
I agree with you Leah. Romeo and Juliet is a great part of history and has an amazing plot. Of course justice is not served when both characters die but that is what makes Shakespeare different from other books. It has you on the edge of your seat but it leaves a bombshell. I am just a freshman in high school, I read R&J and Othello in 8th Grade. I wanted to read Shakespeare and I loved it. Sometimes thing aren't fair but that is the way the culture was.
Well, let's see, do you mean OTHER than the fact it's been the template for tens of thousands of successful romance stories in the intervening years? Isn't that enough?
Another reason, just in case no one else has mentioned it is that Shakespeare was the most financially successful playwright of his era.
Barbara wrote: "I guess I was very lucky in that at the time I was reading Romeo and Juliet in school, the movie with Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey was in the theaters. (yes, I am that old). In addition, I w..."I have to agree Barbara. That is the movie to see if you want to appreciate "Romeo and Juliet".
Little tidbit about R & J: Shakespeare's play was an adaptation of the poem The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet.
Emily wrote: "Alright, so if you didn't detect the tone of the title, I really can't stand this book. All it does is make me raging mad, and it's one of my least favorite reads ever. But I'm not here to rant (t..."
It's not supposed to be read -- it's a play that should be seen. I grew up in Manhattan, and was lucky enough to attend free Shakespeare in the park every summer. Seeing a play is an entirely different experience than reading it.
That is true. You get more a feel of the play when it is acted out that reading. Especially a tragic play like Romeo and Juliet.
Actually, I found R & J very insightful into the mores of the times. Shakespeare (whom I do like to read) impresses me as the Andrew Lloyd Weber of his time. His playes entertained the public, and I can relate to that. Taken at this level, the plays of Shakespeare are quite entertaining.
I did see an operetta in Italian of Romeo and Juliet and found it awe-inspiring.
A lot of people have a problem with Romeo and Juliet simply because they don't understand the time the story was written in. It's hard to comprehend the spirit of a piece of art unless you have a context for it. In our society women have more than enough free will. We choose who we are going to marry, who we are going to sleep with, what we wear, and especially what we say. That wasn't so for the time that Romeo and Juliet was set. Romeo and Juliet is set in 15th Century Italy which was heavily dominated by the Catholic church which, at the time, didn't believe that women had the right to speak openly in the church. During that time, men didn't just see their daughter was something precious, they saw her as a bargaining tool. Women were married off to either pay for family debts, raise family honor, or simply because it was a man their father thought was appropriate. Women couldn't just whine like an extra on an MTV show, they did their duty by the age of 13 and could be married to a man as old as 50. Juliet is 13 in the play and she's bright and opiniated, something that was certainly not expected or accepted at the time. Romeo is a bachelor and only 18, much younger and more handsome than the probably in his 30s Paris. Why do so many people love Twilight? Because Bella and Edward had this bursting attraction that was engaging and made an enticing story. This is exactly how it happened for Romeo and Juliet except they took it a step further and got married. This is where the problem lies. Juliet is a girl which means the Catholic feeling of guilt was engrained in her like freckles. She was thirteen and was being forced by her parents to become a bigomist. With her religion this would ensure her a harlot and she would go to Hell. So all the frantic going ons that people like t holler about when criticizing this play, is truly Juliet not wanting to marry an old man or go to hell for having two husbands. Both seem very troubling to me. So once again, whenever you are reading anything historical, do some background information on the subject because it will really make the work more enjoyable.
Katie wrote: "Emily, I can appreciate the issues that you have with the story. Unless you are the type of person who falls desperately in love in a matter of moments (and some people are), it's hard to relate t..."This is an excellent explanation of the play, as well as a very well-thought out response looking at Emily's concerns with the play. You said what I wanted to add to the conversation (and much more eloquently than I probably would have managed).
This is a beautifully written story and the play phenomenal. I respect it. It's a well deserved classic.
That being said, this isn't a love story.
This was a story about 2 different sets of parents who in their quest for arrogance, ignorance, and blind hatred, ignore their children's pleading and pushed them into what Romeo and Juliet's naive and immature minds thought were only option.. Death.
There's a lot to take away from the play it's makes you think about a lot... Romance isn't one of those things.
That being said, this isn't a love story.
This was a story about 2 different sets of parents who in their quest for arrogance, ignorance, and blind hatred, ignore their children's pleading and pushed them into what Romeo and Juliet's naive and immature minds thought were only option.. Death.
There's a lot to take away from the play it's makes you think about a lot... Romance isn't one of those things.
I like it because I'm a romantic soul. Also, it tells us a lot about how pointless rage and hate can destroy lives, which is always something that should be kept in mind, and I like how it reflects on that. I loved the language, but I read it in my own language, in a translation that was made in the 1800s, so it may flaw my judgment on this, I don't know.With that being said, of course, I started to love it when I saw it on stage. Dramas are so much better when you can actually see them the way they were planned to be: on the stage.
Dorottya wrote: "I like it because I'm a romantic soul. Also, it tells us a lot about how pointless rage and hate can destroy lives, which is always something that should be kept in mind, and I like how it reflects..."Oh, and for me, it's really interesting to see how Romeo and Juliet behave. I for one do not see them as deep lovers, but teens with an infatuation... it's really interesting to compare it with how teens see life and love in our culture, too... there's no huge difference.
Heaven wrote: "This is a beautifully written story and the play phenomenal. I respect it. It's a well deserved classic.
That being said, this isn't a love story.
This was a story about 2 different sets of paren..."
*giggles*
That being said, this isn't a love story.
This was a story about 2 different sets of paren..."
*giggles*
It has some beautiful quotes in it. The writing takes some time to decypher and modernize to understand, I like that challenge. Once you uncover the story, it's quite interesting. While I really enjoyed it, yes, the characters made very irrational decisions, especially Friar Lawrence. In my opinion, the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet's deaths could have been completely avoided, but then there wouldn't be as much of a story.
X wrote: "Romeo and Juliet ARE both idiots - that's half the point of the play. Stupid teenagers making huge, and ultimately fatal gestures, mostly because each set of parents had their heads stuck too far ..."Exactly!
Not everyone likes tragedy and it is true that people want to read a happy ending instead of a sad one. That is though what makes Skakespeare different and what made him a classic. It was something that no one expected and it moved people because of the plot and the outcome. If anybody studied Greek Mythology in school a lot of the stories were tragedies.
Brittany wrote: "A lot of people have a problem with Romeo and Juliet simply because they don't understand the time the story was written in. It's hard to comprehend the spirit of a piece of art unless you have a c..."this^^
Whitney wrote: "Brittany wrote: "A lot of people have a problem with Romeo and Juliet simply because they don't understand the time the story was written in. It's hard to comprehend the spirit of a piece of art un..."Thanks:)
Romeo: See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand. That I might touch that cheek!That's why I love R and J..... Romance.
I think the people who don't like it don't understand it. They can't grasp that a 17 year old and a 13 year old dating is normal, and they don't think that it's a love story. Newsflash: this is not modern stuff, people. In Shakespeare's time, this was completely normal and was a love story. If R&J isn't a love story, then what is?
(please don't say Twilight)
Somi wrote: "Romeo: See how she leans her cheek upon her hand. Oh, that I were a glove upon that hand. That I might touch that cheek!That's why I love R and J..... Romance."
I totally agree with this. Love it!
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The whole experience taught me to love Billy-Boy and I will drive to see variations of his work. I love him straight or adapted (I loved Macbeth done from the perspective of LA gangs).
I think, even if one can't act, performing the plays - translating the words into your own actions, helps one feel the beauty.