Romeo and Juliet is, arguably, one of the most popular plays of all time. Since the first performance in the 16th century, audiences have been captivated by the story of two passionate adolescents fighting against the odds to consummate their dream of lifelong love as dissension between their families and inhospitable circumstances threaten to rend their hopes to pieces and divest them of their lives. It is interesting that the play was first produced in The Globe Theatre, for the themes such as violence, love, sex, death, adolescent angst, are natural curiosities, and for some even obsessions, for the world writ large, which is, apparently, the reason the play has enjoyed success among such a assorted group of people for over four-hundred years. However, the reason that the play has been eulogized, glorified, and canonized is not merely the result of the foregoing themes, its ability to appeal to myriad generations, but for its aestheticism and complexity.
Mass-produced colour photolithography on paper for...
Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...
English: Title page of the second quarto edition (...It has been used as a didactic tool to co-opt students into the world of academic language while improving reading skills and critical thinking abilities. Unfortunately, for many modern readers, (or people watching a traditional theatrical performance) the language is archaic and recondite, precluding them from enjoying the play in all of its manifestations, relying instead on bits and pieces that they can understand to piece together meaning, their ignorance of linguistic and syntactical constructions vitiating their enjoyment of the play. Despite its pervasive presence in the high-schools, many teenagers feel isolated when reading it or seeing a traditional theatrical performance, and when acting themselves, young Romeo's and Juliet's need to have many lines explained to them in detail, the director acting as an exegete, just so that the performance can be half-believable. In many regards, Romeo and Juliet has become something that...
Oh, what a glorious language!
To me, this essay is basically a rant against the film industry - the fact that the author has used 'Romeo and Juliet' to illustrate her point is neither here nor there.
The most ironic aspects of this essay are that 1) the author accepts that a vast number of people are left befuddled and dazed by the olde-english-style of Shakespeare, and then attacks the film-makers for updating the language; and 2) the author uses such high-brow prose herself, that many readers may be just as confused by the end of the essay as if they had just read the great man's complete works!
Whilst I accept that glorification of violence can never be a good thing, I also found the prophecy of the downfall of the American youth a tad melodramatic. I believe most level-headed, reasonably-educated individuals will be able to take the film for what it is, whilst still enjoying the theatre production/book. I know of several people who have read (and are still reading) Tolkein because of the 'Lord of the Rings' movie trilogy.
In a nutshell, I guess 'each to their own' sums up my view on the matter... nobody forces one to watch a movie...
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