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justagirlwithbooks's review against another edition
3.75
“My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep; the more I give to thee,
The more I have, for both are infinite.”
This play actually surprised me in the topics it covered! This is my third Shakespeare play (that I remember reading), and while Macbeth is still my favorite, this one is also pretty good! So many tropes came from this play: insta-love, star-crossed lovers, and so much more. These two are so melodramatic that it was honestly a bit funny how often they monologued about each other - and also how some characters died. I had a good time, and this is also the end of the readathon I was a part of!
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
isabel_is_reading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
- The play is surprisingly funny. Romeo and Mercutio make a lot of jokes and the story seems to not take itself seriously in the beginning, which makes it even more shocking and sad when it takes a tragic turn.
- Romeo was a very good and interesting character. The author introduces us to a young boy who is very emotional, and quite charismatic and likable, and we are shown that his overly passionate reaction to events ends up causing his demise. It’s also very sad that he has to be caught up in his families hatred and feud.
- Juliet ,at first, doesn’t really think about marriage and doesn’t even seem to want to be married. However, her family at first is fine with waiting until she can get married since she’s very young but later on they actually want to marry her off to Paris. We can talk later about her age actually adds to like the tragedy, but just looking at Juliet as a character we are introduced to her as being innocent and shy, but later when she ends up meeting Romeo, she ends up being a lot more defiant with her actually wanting to escape with Romeo and ends up committing suicide at the end of the play. Juliet displays inner strength, intelligence, bravery, wit, and independence. It is, in fact, Juliet who asks Romeo to marry her.
- The cast is adds to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Both don’t have very strong parental figures other than the nurse and Friar Lawrence. The nurse for Juliet doesn’t really have a lot of powers so she’s not able to really help Juliet with the whole marriage thing. Lawrence only sees Romeo and Juliet’s relationship as a way to end the rivalry between the families and even though he gives some caution to the relationship he ,in the end, just supports it. Mercurio, and Tibble add to the rivalry between the two families and this blind hatred and violence. They play around and fight with each other a bunch but they don’t really seem to have any part into it and when it leaves to tragic consequences, it’s mostly a mistake because they just are doing what they think they’re supposed to do.
My school essay from 9th grade (it was and argumentative essay on whether Romeo and Juliet was a love story):
Your eyes dart around the room as you find someone that keeps your attention. They look at you and you feel seen and loved. You start taking to them, you become enthralled by their beauty, but as time goes by you grow and your feelings change. You find out the glance that begun your relationship created the basis for something shallow and childish. But you learn and find someone you like and love deeply. This situation is the basis for Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet;’ however, the twist is that this childish and fickle love is forced to end in tragedy due to the violence that plagues their families. The play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has been interpreted as a love story; however, this interpretation is wrong. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is not a love story, because of how unhealthy the foundation of their relationship is and how the childishness of their dynamic adds to the tragedy that unfolds.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual content
crustywhitedog's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Moderate: Suicide and Violence
Minor: Rape and Sexual content
kibbles15's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Grief
Minor: Cursing and Sexual content
readingwithkaitlyn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent
G slur.vickeyreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Suicide
Minor: Sexual content
david_slack110507's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, and Abandonment
Minor: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic
sveta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.75
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Murder
skyegbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual content and Classism
Minor: Sexual violence
mhari's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Review
Genre: Romance, tragedy.
Characters: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Setting: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Relationships: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Writing Style: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Enjoyment: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Overall Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Notes
Romeo & Juliet was the first book/play that I read that really made me appreciate the beauty of words. Shakespeare tells a powerful and thought-provoking story about the harsh brutality of love. The last line never fails to make me cry: “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
Favourite Quotes
“That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.”
“These violent delights have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and powder, which as they kiss consume.”
“Death, that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.”
“Eyes, look your last! Arms take your last embrace! And, lips, O you the doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss.”
Graphic: Death, Suicide, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Misogyny and Sexual content