Thus, when I finally picked it up for a class last year, I had pretty high expectations. After having read it, I have to say-- I have no idea how calling your significant other your "Romeo" or "Juliet" ever became a compliment, because these kids are literally insane. Is it considered romantic to die because you can't tell the difference between a corpse and someone who's napping??
Review: Romeo & Juliet
William Shakespeare, 1597
Plot:
Romeo is like, ayyy Rosaline, I love you! But then Juliet is all like ayyy. And then Romeo is like, yoo! But because there's this familial conflict thing, Romeo goes and kills someone and Juliet is like "Man, this guy is crazy but I still love him." Then they attempt to elope but they're both dumb, irrational teenagers so, as you can imagine, things go horribly wrong and they both die.
Romeo is like, ayyy Rosaline, I love you! But then Juliet is all like ayyy. And then Romeo is like, yoo! But because there's this familial conflict thing, Romeo goes and kills someone and Juliet is like "Man, this guy is crazy but I still love him." Then they attempt to elope but they're both dumb, irrational teenagers so, as you can imagine, things go horribly wrong and they both die.
By The Cover:
*see above* I got the Pelican edition of the book, which has this snazzy modern art depiction of the two dumb teenagers' deaths. It's actually a pretty cool piece of artwork! But dang, spoiler alert??
First Line:
"CHORUS
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene..."
A chorus starts off by laying down the plot. It's a nice little rhyming thing.
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene..."
A chorus starts off by laying down the plot. It's a nice little rhyming thing.
Last Line:
"For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
They dead!!
"For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
They dead!!
A Quote:
"CAPULET
Go to, go to!
You are a saucy boy."
To be fair, there are a lot of great lines in this play, but I just enjoy picking out random funny-sounding lines out of older literature.
Go to, go to!
You are a saucy boy."
To be fair, there are a lot of great lines in this play, but I just enjoy picking out random funny-sounding lines out of older literature.
Favorite Part:
When Romeo first sees Juliet at the ball and does this elaborate, beautiful monologue... and then Tybalt literally just sees him and wants to kill him.
When Romeo first sees Juliet at the ball and does this elaborate, beautiful monologue... and then Tybalt literally just sees him and wants to kill him.
Least Favorite Part:
A lot of the romantic elements seemed a bit contrived, given the short time frame and and age of the main characters. If you have a hard time with suspension of disbelief, some of the most dramatic parts of the play may make you laugh out loud.
Final Comments:
Final Comments:
I think Romeo and Juliet is one of those works that is more known for its cultural legacy rather than its own merit. While Shakespeare does a good job of conveying some universal emotions through beautiful language, the absurdity of the plot made it feel like a comedy at times, which I'm 100% sure was not his intention. But it's short enough and not a horrible read, so if anything, you could just read it to say you've read it!
Rating: 2.5/5
