Teaching Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"
"Sometimes parents just don't understand.' What teenage student does not understand the importance of this truth in his or her daily life? And what phrase more succulently sums up the basic theme of "Romeo and Juliet?" This is why so many modern composers and filmmakers with an eye upon drawing in an adolescent audience have found inspiration with the Elizabethan tragedy. Over the course of this century alone, audiences have been treated to modernized retellings of the classic, like Baz Lurman's recent film starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes to "West Side Story's" contemporary musical setting of the Montagues and the Capulets in New York City. Yet teachers are often almost as intimidated about teaching Shakespeare as their students are about learning about him.
Why are we as teachers do intimidated by Shakespeare? Of course, teachers wish to make the play historically comprehensible, rather than to merely encourage students to see themselves in the lives of the main characters. I as a teacher wish to give more to my students than they can glean from attending a screening of a modern film or listening to a motion picture soundtrack. But the play's issues of individual choice and free agency in marriage, versus parental control are the same issues gripped the Elizabethan era as well as our own era. If students can appreciate this thematic connection, then they can become 'hooked' on Shakespeare, through "Romeo and Juliet."
Also, the prevalence of violence and...
Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is considered the epitome of romantic text. When someone talks about doomed love or true love, they always go back to Romeo and his paramour. So much is made of the love story between the two, that the tragedy of the events has come to be misinterpreted as adding to the romance. With this misunderstanding has become this notion that Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare's play, Romeo Juliet, film version: note defend effective ineffective. Do unknown young actors, Leonard Whiting Olivia Hussey, opposed recognizable stars, made film appealing? Please explain Although some might be inclined to believe that it is impossible to compare two works of art because they should each be analyzed from different points-of-view, it is only safe to consider that William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet needs to be compared with the
Shot-by-Shot Analysis of Mercutio�s Death in Romeo + Juliet (1996)The scene begins with a low angled shot as Tybalt leaps into frame from a balcony to beat Romeo lying off screen out of frame below him. Shot two is over the shoulder of Tybalt, or rather over the hip, and shows Romeo in the sand being kicked by Tybalt. Shot three is a cut to Mercutio�s face full in frame
To Tybalt, he cries: "I do protest I never injur'd thee, / but love thee better than thou canst devise." His language is insistent, but Mercutio's death is more than he can bear: he takes it personally and is blinded by the abuse he feels that he has suffered. His language changes from insistence to accusation. First, he feels his pains: "This gentleman… / My very friend, hath got
Juliet as a Strong Character In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, Juliet emerges as a strong woman because he is willing to follow her heart to whatever end to get what she wants. She is not happy doing what her family thinks she should do and has enough strength to know what she wants and do what she must do to get it. We are told that we do not get
Like Romeo, Juliet believes that the only solution is committing suicide, but the Friar tells her of a secret potion, a drug that will make her only appear dead for almost two days. The Friar tells Juliet to take it the night before her wedding. Meanwhile, he will send a note to Romeo to tell him about this secret plan. For Juliet, this appears to be the only plan that
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