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Romeo And Juliet (平装)
by William Shakespeare
| Category:
Litreature, Classic, Play |
| Market price: ¥ 78.00
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| MSL Pointer Review:
Romeo And Juliet is one of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies, written in 1595. The play is about love and passion between two young people. It is also about the fate of the two “star-crossed lovers,” who eventually take their own lives because of misunderstandings. |
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AllReviews |
1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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Guillermo Maynez (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
I won't summarize the plot, as it is one of the best-known tales in all literature, and deservedly so. Being a classic, it can be read from different perspectives and standpoints. For me, it is a study on passion, of instantaneous, immediate and eternal passion of love; absolute and without doubts; pure and immaculate. The lovers never have to discover the realities of living together. Their love stays in an absolute state of pureness. So, it is a vision of love in its most extreme state.
Shakespeare's true genius can be observed in the fact that all of his plays, especially this one, can and have been adapted to a wide array of ages, places and circumstances. The story is universal because so is the passion it examines.
The characters are unbelievably strong and accurate. The environment is wonderful Middle Ages Italy. The plot is twisted yet simple, and the Bard's sentences are pure poetry of the highest kind. No one should die without having read "Romeo and Juliet".
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Karina Suarez (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
At least that's what I feel should have been a worthy epitaph for these two ill-fated lovers. I read this classic work of fiction because I've never read anything by Shakespeare before. Being a romantic, I found it appealed to me as one unfathomable story of doomed love, and may I say the ending could not have been any other, even if it hadn't been a fictitious story. I agree with Ms. Paster, who in this edition gives a final, parallel account of the story in comparison to modern times; when she says that Romeo and Juliet's only way out to consumate their love was through death, because they had trespassed socially acceptable conventions of the era, and not just due to a family feud. This is true especially of Juliet, who, because she was a woman, had the least advantages and the most pressures to be married to someone previously chosen and approved by her father. She defies the world - literally - and runs to the arms of her Romeo to be married in secret. I cannot imagine the terrible strain and fear a woman would have gone through in the 1500's should she choose to follow her heart in such a way. I find Juliet, in this sense, a true pioneer of women's rights. She definitely risks it all, defying even her own father (the man who would "owned" her until she got married). The passage where he confronts her about her arranged marriage to Count Paris has to be one of the cruelest speeches in classic literature. She certainly would have to make use of a humongous supply of nerve to defy convention.
Romeo, on his behalf, is truly besotted with Juliet. He admires her beauty more than her courage and, like most men when in love, shows himself a pathetic spectacle. However, he loves her and cannot live without her. He only has eyes and, what's really important, heart for her. That is why, when he receives news of her death, he decides to go to her tomb and kill himself there. The ill-fated destiny plays these lovers a bad hand when Romeo does not get a letter in time explaining his beloved's circumstances for her death.
I enjoyed Shakespeare's language the most during the first half of the book. When Romeo climbs to Juliet's window and stays with her for a few hours in the night (the only time the young lovers have for each other throughout the play). He expresses his love with unforgettable lines. He wishes he would be someone else, so that he could love her freely: "Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized." (2.2.54)
This edition by the Folger Library has new comments and offers historical background on the life of William Shakespeare as well his times and his theatre. Dimensions of The Globe and explanations on how the plays were acted are shown in detail; together with illustrations of engravings of the period. It all helps to give a good understanding of the play. If, like me, you are new to Shakespeare, you will find the left pages in the book an invaluable resource since they are like a mini-dictionary clarifying words, idiomatic expressions of the era and even full verses. Above all, fear not; and dare to dive into this torrent of love.
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
I had to read this book in school and at first I thought: "I believe in love and all, but how will I understand it?" Well, luckily, we had an updated version that put it in words we knew. And I must say, it really does deserve all the tv references it's gotten over the decades. Not only did I feel my heart break when Romeo died with tears running abundantly down his cheek, and when Juliet awoke hoping to be reunited with her love and instead finding his body on the floor, but I also felt crushed when Mercutio died. He was the one character I felt most similar to. Shakespeare knew how to break your heart right open. Each time I go back to that paragraph where Mercutio refers to Queen Mab and the way she makes dreams and when he talks about reputations being the determining factor of someone's character instead of personalities, I feel even more attached to Mercutio. I'm sure everyone can find someone with similar personality traits if they read Shakespeare. But this truly is one of the greatest love stories and anyone who's lonely and finds themselves wishing for love should read this. Romeo was that same sort of person until he met Juliet. But one has to wonder, was it simply an intense infatuation? This question has been posed before and I'm not so sure it's a wrong question. But perhaps it really was love. Only Shakespeare knows... And he took secrets like those to his grave... I also recommend this to people who have already found love as it is a chilling reminder that love can surpass anything and anyone in love should do anything in their power to make sure that the flame never goes out, even if it means death.
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Renato (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
This book is a story tells a story about true love. The characters Romeo and juliet has been a role model for many people in their love life.This story includes all the elements to prove that love that Romeo and Juliet had was true love. William Shakespeare uses tragedy,love, hate, pride, and irony.
Romeo, from house the house of Montagues,is best described as a love. He does things for Juliet even though it risks his life. But no matter the consequences, he went with hs feelings. Juliet, from house of Capulets, is a lover at will. She had never loved a man as much a Romeo. But though they were from opposing families, she finds a way to marry him.
There were many tragedies. Two being Mercutio and Tybalts death. There were many more tragedies that happened and one main reason why they happened which was the fact that the two house were against each other. This caused all the tragedies because if they were not, both lovers would live happily. One thing that kept the family against each other was the pride in their name. If it were not for the name then all would not end in tragedy.
One ironic part in this story was when the two lovers got married. Getting married usually makes life better but in this marraige, it made thing worse and turned the story into a different direction.
This story must have been the best story I have ever read. It is love story that makes me think of how far I would go for a girl. Though it is hard to read, I enjoyed it very much and I suggest the book to all the lovers out there but could be enjoyed by all.
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Lucas (MSL quote), Argentina
<2007-03-13 00:00>
Romeo and Juliet is a great tragic romance. The story is full of love, violence, passion and hate. It's an excellent epic poem in which Shakespeare tells this tragic story using a beautiful language, very poetic and lyrical. Try it, you'll never forget it.
This story is about a pair of two star-crossed lovers, which take their life in Verona. For years, the feuding of the Montagues and the Capulets has disturbed the peace of Verona.
It all began in a party in the Capulet's house in which Romeo and Juliet made their love vows, and Romeo proposed marriage to Juliet. After this marriage, everything was tragic.
Deaths and fights were constantly a problem in the two houses. So Romeo and Juliet would leave Verona to stop the quarrels, but this plan failed when Lord Capulet told Juliet to marry Paris.
Friar Laurence would make a new plan, to skip this ceremony. Juliet would pretend to be dead and afterwards, when wake up, leave Verona with her love.
This plan also failed because Romeo didn't get to know about this and killed himself when he saw Juliet lying on her grave. Juliet did the same when she saw Romeo lying beside her.
After these deaths, both families realised that hate between them caused lots of deaths. Capulet and Montague made up their quarrel. They promised not to fight again and make a golden statue about the two beautiful star-crossed lovers.
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Emeritus Johnstone (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
Yes dear reader, it is I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone. As you may have divined, as Professor Emeritus of American Literature, I am well versed with
dramatic writings from our sister nation, England. Now, many of you are unfamiliar with the work, as William Shakespeare is relatively unknown in the bumpkin-ridden land you call "The Colonies". However, you lucky few will discover a goldmine of quotes such as "Alack, Alack, Alack" and other favorites. But I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone, diverge. Yes yes. For those of you who wish to pursue the god-given purpose of the most noble art of teaching American Literature, you must be familiar with the works of Shakespeare. As you are stupid, and not a professor, like I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone, you undoubtedly do not understand, but no matter. The story of "Romeo and Juliet" is simple. it opens in a court yard in Venice where the political rebels, Pyramus and Thisbe are plotting to overthrow the evil fascist government (oh how I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone know that feeling. I confess, dear reader, that once I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone, lived in America until government stooges
exiled me to darkest India for poliical subterfuge. Suberfuge! Bah!). Alas, Lord Capulet's men break into the meeting and arrest poor Pyramus and
Thisbe, casting them into the darkest dungeon. Ah, but fortune smiles on our two heroes, for in the cell next to them are the "Star-burned
lovers" Romeo and Juliet, who were imprisoned for plotting to overthrow the evil Capulet. Together, they escape the prison, kill all the
fascist-swine guards, and blow up the prison, bringing us, dear reader, rather neatly to the end of Act I.
Act II opens in Lord Montague's (Lord Capulet's chief of security) hall, where he has just made posters offering 5000 marks for the heads of the four rebels. Enter the villain (mustache and all) Tybalt (cousin to Count Paris) the bounty-hunter. Tybalt, in a scene that moved even I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone, gives a heartrending "soliliquy" in which he mourns on he pain of killing those whose politico agendas you support. Thus ends Act II.
In Act III, we find...Romeo Working For Load Capulet! He has become a traitorous lap-dog to the very system he despises (oh reader, how I,
Professor Emeritus Johnstone, know this feeling!). Pyramus and his rebel army storm the palace, and in the final scene, Pyramus kills his traitorous
lover, Romeo, driving a dagger through his jugular...only to find out that Romeo was a spy. Pyramus then jumps out the highest tower in penance to end the play.
Genius. Every potential collegiate scamp should read this edition, for it has a preface by one of the greatest scholars of our age... none other than
I, Professor Emeritus Johnstone.
Hark, I hear my Biddy calling me to gruel and morning prayers. As Hamlet said, "Adieu Fair Readers!"
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Valeria Figuereo (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
The play's setting is the Italian city of Verona where Romeo and Juliet, the star-crossed lovers, face authorianism with a blood feud between each other's family, the Montegues and the Capulets. At a feast, Romeo notices and is struck by Juliet's beauty. At the first opportunity he approaches her; they fall in love immediately. Only after parting do they learn that they belong to rival families. The two exchange vows and decide to marry the next day, expecting that they will bring peace to the feuding families. Many deaths resulted from this relationship. Romeo and Juliet is one of the best romantic stories in history which motivated many people to rethink hatred against one another. It captures the essence of true love.
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Kimberly Daniel , USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
I went throughout high school never reading this book. It's so well-known; everyone knows what it is about and how it ends. Movie after movie has come out depicting the events. However, I will honestly say that it is definitely worth the read. It's a beautiful story of two lovers who suffer from forbidden love. I hate sappy books. I despise them. But this one was different. I don't know if it was because it was fast paced or if it's the fact that people were always dueling, or what. However, I will say that Shakepeare is brillant. This, along with so many of his other stories are great. Romeo And Juliet is a brillant tale, and after reading it, I am more able to appreciate everything I have seen and heard about it. If nothing else, it's a wonderful play about honor, devotion, independence, and unification. And this edition is really helpful in understanding Shakespeare's language, for on each page, there are notations that tell what his words and phrases mean today... which is really helpful.
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A reader (MSL quote) , USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
This might be shakespeare's best. Its certainly more accessible than Hamlet. This doesn't really need another review at all. I write to inform the reader of another monumental book. This may be the most famous story of Italian Lovers. If you like Italy and/or love Stories, I recommend The Betrothed(I Promessi Sposi) by Alessandro Manzoni. Renzo and Lucia(from the book) are almost as famous as Romeo And Juliet. If Shakespeare and Leo Tolstoy ever wrote a book together, their book would look like The Betrothed. Yes, its that great!
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A reader (MSL quote), USA
<2007-03-13 00:00>
Romeo and Juliet is the first Shakespearean play I have read. I thought it was very good. It didn't have a complicated plot like other Shakespearean plays allegedly have. The language, of course, is great. I would also recommend buying this edition of the book if any, because old and archaic words and phrases are translated on every other page (this is a huge help). Shakespeare offers some good comic relief (watch for several double entendres) throughout the play which moderated the level of lament. This play shows the chaos that can result when people let their emotions overcome reason, and also what can result when you only look short term and move with so much "haste". After finishing the play, I realized that there were indeed only a couple of totally reasonable characters, but I'll leave that to you. I look foward to reading more of Shakespeare's plays in the near future.
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1 Total 1 pages 10 items |
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