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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
First read this in 2008 for school and I'm sure I didn't like it then for edgy bullshit reasons, but as of 2025 (reread for the Kit Connor/Rachel Zegler production on Broadway) I think Romeo and Juliet gets a bad rap. Maybe it was their performances, but it really is tragic that this young love ended -- had to end -- in death and destruction, all because of a stupid petty blood feud that no one remembers the cause of. It's a happy ending in that the feud ends, but it's tragic that these two young lovers had to die for it.
Connor and Zegler were incredible, btw. Connor played Romeo perfectly and Zegler is just so all-around talented.
Connor and Zegler were incredible, btw. Connor played Romeo perfectly and Zegler is just so all-around talented.
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare is a timeless tragedy that has captivated audiences for centuries. Set in Verona, Italy, the play tells the tale of two young star-crossed lovers from feuding families, Romeo and Juliet, whose forbidden love leads to a series of unfortunate events. Shakespeare's masterful storytelling, poetic language, and exploration of themes such as love, fate, and societal conflict make this play an enduring classic. The iconic balcony scene, passionate soliloquies, and the tragic outcome of the lovers' story have solidified "Romeo and Juliet" as one of the greatest love stories in literary history, showcasing the power and consequences of love against a backdrop of familial strife and societal expectations.
Read it like five times in ninth grade, probably my favorite of Shakespeare's works. Hate, love, and idiocy all combined into a thoroughly depressing tale. I did sincerely love the plot and there were a lot of quotes and lines that were just beautiful, but Romeo is so stupid! He said it himself! ("I am fortune's fool!") Very annoyed with him, but hey this is supposed to be romantic tragedy, and he's a boy, I guess I should cut him some slack. JK!
"Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean (...)"
Oh, I love how it starts, the prologue tells you everything in advance yet you don't realize it. This play is not just about love, is about fortune, conflict, secrets and puns (lots of puns! though are not really easy to understand)
Give it a try, It takes a few pages to get used to the language but is totally worth it
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean (...)"
Oh, I love how it starts, the prologue tells you everything in advance yet you don't realize it. This play is not just about love, is about fortune, conflict, secrets and puns (lots of puns! though are not really easy to understand)
Give it a try, It takes a few pages to get used to the language but is totally worth it
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Spoiler alert!!
Romeo and Tybalt are the true lovers here, although I think Tybalt wouldn’t think of this as funny so don't tell him. And Mercutio is also part of it. Juliet is really just a bystander.
I mean....
"Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives. That I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out."
And Tybalt's answer is "I am for you."
Yes okay, he killed Mercutio after this but love isn't perfect...
I think I am a Shakespeare girl.
Romeo and Tybalt are the true lovers here, although I think Tybalt wouldn’t think of this as funny so don't tell him. And Mercutio is also part of it. Juliet is really just a bystander.
I mean....
"Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives. That I mean to make bold withal, and, as you shall use me hereafter, dry-beat the rest of the eight. Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Make haste, lest mine be about your ears ere it be out."
And Tybalt's answer is "I am for you."
Yes okay, he killed Mercutio after this but love isn't perfect...
I think I am a Shakespeare girl.
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have read this play over and over and over and over again in my academic career. I have lost count of how many times I have read it. The quintessential high school Shakespeare. Which of course you're forced into re-reading in college so the professors can prove to you that its not his best work. Which it isn't. Just the best known. Needless to say that pretty soon I am going to be able to quote this thing act, scene and line. Maybe.