sunkernplus 's review for:

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Romeo and Juliet has gone up on my list of Shakespeare plays I adore since I've read it in high school. From it being one of my least favorite plays (due to the version I read being much abridged for high school students, not really going into the nature of the threatened child-adult marriage between Juliet and Paris), to it being one of the most interesting plays I've read next to Death of a Salesman due to it's appearance of being a Shakespearean/Elizabethan comedy -- until the start of Act 3. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder

Paris is clearly meant to be a pedophile, being around Juliet's father's age yet Juliet is being forced to marry him. Misogyny is inherent in this as well. Many characters get murdered in this play, especially from act 3 onward. The play ends with Romeo and Juliet both committing suicide, and Juliet has suicidal thoughts when she decides whether or not to drink the vial of poison Friar Lawrence gives her.