96 pages
Source: Purchased
Two words: Epic. Fail.
Seriously, I was expecting so much. This is Romeo and Juliet we're talking about here. It's only the best known romance in the history of English lit, right?
OK, I digress. The next generation might just consider Twilight to be the best known romance of all time. Shame on them. Such poor, misguided souls...
I thought R&J's ages caused all their interactions to take on an almost laughable quality. Two teenagers falling in love and getting married the next day? Psh, call me cynical, but that is just a wee bit too fast, eh? I understand that R&J's naivety adds to the realistic feel of the play, but it just didn't work for me. It doesn't help the situation, either, when, for some incomprehensible reason, one's English teacher feels the need to point out and explain every single innuendo Shakespeare included. After which the idiotic freshman guys in my class would guffaw and snicker-punch each other, and I would just die a little bit inside.
How dare they blaspheme Shakespeare in such a lowly manner in my presence...?
Anyways, I thought the only redeeming quality of Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare's beautiful writing. He has such a way with words, but I'm sure everyone who's read him knows this already. Romeo has some great lines. Incredibly melodramatic when put into the context of the story, but beautiful nonetheless.
Next up in class is The Merchant of Venice. Hopefully it will be more similar to Macbeth, which I enjoyed immensely last year.
Tidbit of random: If only I could write like Shakespeare is a thought that constantly goes through my mind every time I read one of his magnificent works.
Rating: 3
fairly intriguing
