Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

 Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Romeo and Juliet is one of the best known plays, if not the most popular one, adapted for television, by Hollywood studios and others around the world, replicated in other works that have become masterpieces in their own right, such as the West Side Story (http://realini.blogspot.com/2018/05/west-side-story-based-on-plays-by.html), with its modern take on the ancient dispute between the houses of Capulet and Montague, transported into New York, where Puerto Ricans fight with their enemies in the 20^th century, not medieval Verona.

The version this note refers to has been directed by Martin Jarvis, and has Calista Flockhart, Richard Chamberlain and Alfred Molina among the members of the cast, in a play that has had during the past wonderful actors in the leading and other roles- Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes in a more recent adaptation, with Orson Welles and more luminaries, titans at different moments in history.

On goodreads, this quintessential love story has an astonishing, perhaps a record breaking 1,788, 862 ratings – although the average of just 3.74 reflects a disinclination of present day readers to enjoy the epitome of love as depicted by William Shakespeare, which may seem outré in the twenty-first century.

First of all, there is the issue of the age of the protagonists, Romeo and especially Juliet may seem too young to know what they feel and do as a consequence of their love – “as boundless as the sea…the more I give to thee, The More I have, for both are infinite”…

Descendants of rival, warring families of Verona, the two teenagers love each other in spite of the hatred – or is it to some degree because they are forbidden to come close to someone from the opposing camp?

Marcel Proust in A La Recherche du Temps Perdu explains that we are attracted to that which we do not have, to have is called “the forbidden fruit” and quite often we stop desiring the man or woman once their affection seems to be guaranteed – this could well be the “very essence” of love.

Once Romeo sees Juliet at the event organized by her family – wherein he is not welcome by most of her relatives – he falls in love, although some would say that this is just infatuation, caused by his tender age and a tendency for a teenager to call eternal; flame what is just a temporary, soon extinguished fire.

In Prizzi’s Honor, Charlie Partana aka Jack Nicholson meditates on what love, falling in love are and he comes to the conclusion that “falling in love” means something temporary, as he has read in the magazines.

At the same time, a character from a short story by Thomas Mann is sure that love exists only in literature or other works of art and when we say “there are no words to describe these feelings, this love” in real life, this is just a falsehood, for love means so much that mere mortals do not experience it.

Therefore, this personage would criticize the statement: ““Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. Then your love would also change.” Vows and promises exchanged by the protagonists as they share their deep, mesmerizing feelings for each other.

“If I profane with my unworthiest hand

This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this:

My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand

To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.”

On a different note, one of the two brightest thinkers that we have in our country is fascinated by the aforementioned quote, which he lists in one of his works as the best declaration of love ever.

Alas, the shared emotions, let us call them eternal love, given that this is fiction and the limitations of age, the criticism that the heroes are too young and therefore unable to analyze their feelings should not stand, do not bring the bliss that they may deserve.

The Capulets, Juliet’s father wants to marry her, after the death of Tybalt, who had provoked Romeo and harassed him until the two fought, causing the adversity between the two family to come to boiling point and The young hero to be banished from Verona.

The tragic ending of this love story is well known, although a critical perspective would find fault in paradise – “the mind is its own place, it can make hell out of heaven and heaven out of hell” – and doubt the idea that a false death can fool someone so easily with calamitous results.

Romeo and Juliet vow to marry, only to be sidetracked by the plans of the Capulet family, death of the cousin, consequent exile and the events that lead to the saddest finale in the history of theater, perhaps.

For some, the actions of Juliet are the definition of love, for to love someone means to stop wishing life when the partner is dead, which does not happen in life, where so many say that words are not enough to describe their extreme adoration, only to find it gone at the first serious test.

Indeed, both Romeo and Juliet choose to die, rather than live without their other half and this is maybe one of the most important messages we can get from this chef d’oeuvre, when we feel inclined to contemplate the majesty of our own emotions.