Recently as I was stalking imdb.com, which is a
completely normal activity for me, I discovered that there is a new
version of Romeo and Juliet being filmed. It will be starring Douglas Booth and
Hailee Steinfeld (pictured below). To see the rest of the cast you can
click Here
Now, I’m not sure if
I’m alone in my views, but I’m not such a big fan of Romeo and Juliet. That’s
not to say I’m not a fan of Shakespeare, as he is without a doubt one of the
most revered writers of all time and has made a mark on the world of literature
no other author could wipe clean. I find it quite bizarre how references of
Romeo and Juliet make it into love stories. I have such a difficult time
accepting this tragic love when all I see are two hormonal teenagers, who think
they are in love. They disregard their parent's wishes, marry in secret, get
roofied by a priest, and then kill themselves. That does not say love, or in
any way resemble, romance to me.
Now, as a disclaimer, these aren't my
words exactly but they express the way I feel perfectly. thanks The
Crook Book Shelf and ab keuser
Romeo
is an inconstant fool. He begins the play lovesick over Rosaline and within an
act is mooning over Juliet. Is it just me, or does the fact that he
ditches the so called love of his life as soon as another girl comes into the
picture, start ringing alarm bells.
Juliet isn’t
much better. She meets a boy at a party and is suddenly head over heels for im
and vowing her love on a balcony (yes, you know the one).So, a fickle 15 year
old boy and a cripplingly naïve 13 year old girl agree to get married in
secret, having known each other all of six hours. They’re young, I know, but
their entire situation could have been handled much better from the get go.
And then you have a case of tight
britches and hot tempers with the whole Tybalt challenges Romeo, Romeo refuses,
Mercutio fights instead and is mortally wounded, Romeo slays Tybalt out of
grief and guilt. Thus, Romeo is exiled, but
spends the night and consummates his marriage with Juliet… and then Capulet
goes off the deep end, telling Juliet she WILL marry Paris or else be
drowned. Which, come on… dude started the play saying she was too young to
marry and then, when she seems grief stricken he forces her to get married? I’m
not sure how you read that… but daddy might have some issues of his own.
So Juliet goes to the Friar for help
and like any good man of the faith, he comes up with some grandiose plan that
in no way involves being honest and instead gives her a “drug” that
puts her in a coma for 42 hours. The responsible adult somehow manages to be
just as childish in his handling of
the situation as the kids are.
And of course we all know what
happened then… Romeo doesn’t get the message in time, he goes to the crypt with
his draught of poison, kills Paris, poisons himself, only to have Juliet wake
seconds later to find him dead and kill herself… and THEN the families
reconcile. I don’t know about you, but having the secondary characters learn
something from the deaths of two completely naïve children is not what I call a
satisfying ending. Stories can have morals yes, but I see no real love in this
story. The Prince’s ending words are the
only part of this that rings true: For never was a story of more woe than this
of Juliet and her Romeo.
Love is something
that develops over time, and triumphs all other concerns. Had they been a bit
older, they would have saw this, and realised acted brash and foolish would be
their demise. People see this play as the book that most describes how
love can last forever. I do not believe this. If love could last forever, then
surely it could withstand any attacks from family members. What do you
think? Should Romeo and Juliet be classed as one of the greatest and most
powerful love stories of all time? Or should it be showed in the light of what
it truly is; a book about how making the wrong decisions and being reckless can
lead to disaster?
I have always viewed Romeo and Juliet as more of a tragedy than a romance. They are two hormonal teenagers that have a fling that barely lasts long enough to be counted in days rather than hours, and ultimately leads to the death of 5 people!
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