The real Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet was a household story written by Shakespeare. Whatever people are in English speaking countries or not, people who were educated definitely has heard the love story of Romeo and Juliet. Whatever how young the children are, there are comic versions of the play for them to read or watch. I got familiar with the young lovers when I got into primary school, but it’s the first time to read the real play that Shakespeare wrote. I already knew the plot that two young people fell in love. Their family was enemies and Juliet was asked to marry another man while Romeo met her and they fell in love at first sight. Lastly, they died together because of the disagreement of their family and the families repaired their relationship because of the children’s death. However, when I started read the script, I have some new understandings.

I was moved by the young love of Romeo and Juliet when I first read the book. Even though I never believed love at first sight, that’s beautiful and romantic, indeed. However, after reading a few acts of the book, I sum their love in teenager’s impulsion. Well, the characters were so different than what I thought for many years. I never knew that Juliet wasn’t 14 yet and I never knew that Romeo was such a talkative and amorous young man.

I used to think Juliet was a genteel girl came from a well-bred family that she might be quiet and obedient. From the script, I new that Juliet was elegant, silent, and polite, but she’s also mature and assertive with a little bit teenage rebellion. She was polite, from where she taught to the nurse and she used polite expression, “and stint thou, too, I pray thee, nurse, say I ” while her mother said “enough of these”(Shakespeare). Otherwise, when her mother introduced Paris to her, she was silent. Since she knew she couldn’t change her mother’s mind, she said she would think about her idea but ”But no more deep will I endart mine eye” was her true feeling. I would say that Juliet was mature that she didn’t show everything that she thought and she looked more mature than a 13 year-old girl.

For Romeo, I thought he was talented and gentle before, but I know it’s not true now. When I first saw he crushed on Rosaline in the first chapter and soon fell in love with Juliet, I truly have nothing to say about him. He was so capricious and he can easily and suddenly fall in “love” with a girl. Actually, I even doubted the reason why he would like to die with Juliet. I didn’t really know such an amorous boy could end his life that easy. Also, he was so talkative that when he talked about Rosaline, he spoke a lot. He seemed soulful when he said, ”O, teach me how I should forget to think.” “To call hers, exquisite, in question more” (Shakespeare). His language would be more convincing if I didn’t know he would fall in love with Juliet suddenly. The only thing I have to saw was, Romeo was so young that his mental age should be even younger than Juliet.

Admittedly, reading the book helped me to understand a true version of Romeo and Juliet and the setting of the play. Even though it overthrown my world view for this book, it’s still fun to read. I would like to recommend others to read the book to know more about the young couples.

Shakespeare, William, Barbara A. Mowat, and Paul Werstine. Romeo and Juliet. New York: Washington Square Published by Pocket, 1992. Print.