Book 73: Finished.

Well, another reread of this one down. And I liked it much more this time than the last few times I've read it. Maybe it is because I pulled more out of it, and that I focused on some of the smaller details than that whole...tragic love story aspect. Because while that love and tragedy is obviously the focal point, there is a lot of other stuff going on.

I want to talk about my favorite character for a minute, Mercutio. I paid much closer attention to his lines this time around, and I just love his snarky comments. he is obviously a dark and cynical type of person...and I love it. Of course, there is is famous "Queen Mab" speech where he pokes fun at Romeo's obsession with love (this is only the first part since the speech is rather long);

"O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you. . . .
She is the fairies’ midwife, and she comes
In shape no bigger than an agate stone
On the forefinger of an alderman,
Drawn with a team of little atomi
Athwart men’s noses as they lie asleep," (I.iv).

There is also the scene where poor Mercutio meets his end and is angry with the world for what happens;

"A plague o' both your houses!" (III.i).

I just love the passion and anger...and the spite. Mercutio is by far my favorite. I love him. :)

There are tons of other wonderful lines that are infinitely better than the ones most people remember (about the light in the east, and the rose by any other name...you know what I mean). Another favorite is this little gem;

"Then I defy you, stars!" (V. i).

But my favorite part of the entire play is the end. Why? Because it truly captures the nature of the play and the passion that drove the tragedy;

"A glooming peace this morning with it brings;
The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head:
Go hence, to have more talk of these sad things;
Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished:
For never was a story of more woe
Than this of Juliet and her Romeo," (V.iii).

I love that at the end, even with the tragedy of the death of these two young people (plus a few bystanders), that there is a glimmer of hope. Something has been learned from what has happened. And it is a story that truly has stood the test of time (I mean yeah, there's a movie out with lawn gnomes that follows the story. Really). So while not my favorite of Shakespeare's plays, it does have a certain quality that makes me respect it for what it does. So if you haven't read it in a while because its not your favorite, give it another try. And pay attention to the smaller details-you might be surprised!

And how funny is this that it happens to be posted on Valentine's Day? Hahaha, TOTALLY didn't plan that!

Book 73: Teenagers and Dirty Jokes.

I felt the Twilight inspired cover of Romeo and Juliet was fitting since I am talking about teenagers and dirty jokes in this post (and I don't mean that as an insult, I hope you know that).

But the fact is, SO MANY teenagers find the story of Romeo and his gal Juliet romantic, so that cover (which I secretly love) is fitting. It captures that bloom of first love.

(now I'm really done with the bad jokes).

But really, Romeo and Juliet really does capture all that angst and torment of young love. Both characters are only 14 in the play (although now I think Juliet might even be 13...am I wrong?), so it does capture that obsessed feeling teenagers get.

I can remember those days, can't you?

I am sure that the first time I read this play I was one of those girls who absolutely loved it. And wished that I can transport myself into the play so I could be in the middle of all the romance and drama.

Now that I am older, and far more experienced with Shakespeare, I don't feel that way about this play any longer. I have read a great deal of his plays and have found other love stories that are far more touching and real (I am mainly thinking about Beatrice and Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing). I love their witty banter and if anything is missing from this play, it is the connection between Romeo and Juliet.

Let's be honest. The two of them spot each other across a room, meet, chit-chat for a minute, share one kiss, and they are immediately in love with one another. I am sure this goes back to all of that teenage need for love and acceptance, but we all know it doesn't really happen that way. That is why this play doesn't have a special place in my heart.

But I can enjoy it. And I can enjoy all the bits and pieces I didn't understand reading it as a ninth grader. I can pick up on all the innuendos, the dirty word play, and tense sexuality of it all. The beginning of the play is ripe with this contrast between the idea of love and lust.

As characters enter, we get snippets of these dirty jokes. Here is an example from Mercutio:

"If love be rough with you, be rough with love.
Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.
Give me a case to put my visage in!
A visor for a visor, What care I
What curious eye doth quote deformities?
Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me," (I.iv. 25-30).

To break it down, Romeo is mooning and showing his love (he is a sap at the beginning), and being himself, Mercutio has to call him out on it. In this scene, Mercutio was discussing Cupid with the guys and starts making these dirty references. "Love" in this passage represent Cupid, and of course, "prick" represents well...you know. So when he tells Romeo to prick Cupid? Oh yeah, that's dirty.

It doesn't stop there. Mercutio tells all kinds of dirty nasty jokes throughout the beginning part of the play. Here is another lovely gem,

"This cannot anger him. 'Twould anger him
To raise a spirit in his mistress' circle
Of some strange nature, letting it there stand
Till she had laid it and conjured it down..." (II.i. 24-27).

I don't want to spell this one out for you, but hopefully you can read in between the lines. :)

But yes, that Shakespeare was a dirty old man. And clever. As obsessed as I was with this play as a teen, I never pulled those dirty references from it. I am sure my teacher didn't point them out, but I never picked them up. Amazing.

Anyway, while still not my favorite play, I am really loving everything else that Shakespeare puts into this play-beyond all that love stuff. Even though I still love all of those classic lines, I am finding so much else to love...

and I don't mean just dirty jokes. ;)

Book 73: Romeo and Juliet and Book Stats.

Title: Romeo and Juliet

Author: William Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Written: Between 1591 and 1595ish.
Published: They believe the first copy was in the First Folio in 1597

My Edition: Barnes and Noble Shakespeare (Seen at left)

Pages: 370

Other Works Include: 35 other plays, a slew of sonnets, and some other short pieces.

Like many, my first experience with Shakespeare was Romeo and Juliet in high school. I was in ninth grade and like every other ninth grade girl, I thought it was "the most romantic thing like ever." *sigh*

The newer version of the movie had come out just a couple years before then (you know, the one with Leo?) and I remember being absolutely enthralled with it. I also think that was because of the cuteness of Leo back then, but at least it was Shakespeare, right?

Now that I am older, I have a very different perception of this play. Overall, it is probably one of my least favorites. It does have one of my favorite Shakespearian characters, Mercutio, and is probably the one play I understand the best. But, I think that many of the other plays FAR outweigh this one in power and downright awesomeness.

Perhaps I am also a bit jaded since this is the only play I have taught. And yes, I taught it to ninth graders (while I was student teaching). There are so many other choices for plays to be taught in schools, so perhaps I am just bitter that this is sometimes the only exposure kids have to the wonders of Shakespeare.

In any case, I am looking forward to a quick reread. Like I said, I am very familiar with this play, so I am hoping to pick out some of the fun bits in this one, particularly all the dirty jokes and clever wordplay. :)


This is the 5th Shakespeare play I am reading for my project out of the 16 I have listed. The others I have read were books #4: Much Ado About Nothing, #19: The Winter's Tale, # 36: Macbeth, and #58, The Tempest (we read this in August 2010 for a readalong hosted here). You can click on the "Finished Books" link at the top of my blog to see these titles and my favorite post for each.

I am also reading this title to fulfill a requirement for my Shakespeare Reading Challenge!