Romeo Romeo wherefore art thou Romeo?

 

Romeo and Juliet is a classic tragedy love story. The story of two lovers that will do anything to be together. They both defy their families and will stop at nothing to become one. I have read this play so many times and have studied it a number of times as well. It never seizes to amaze me how much I learn and gain from this story every time I encounter it. There are numerous themes that a teacher can pull out of this story to use in a classroom setting. Some of the themes are as follows; coming of age, defying the norm, holding true to your own hopes and dreams, risk, family  issues and of course the overall theme of undying love. Tragedy is also not a common theme to use in the classroom but one that can lead to interesting discussions and even possible paper topics.

This play would be extremely fun and impactful to act out in an in-class reading. You can break up the scenes or characters amongst the students. You could also break up pages or lines to include as many of the students as possible or who want to participate. There are many adaptations and remakes of this play. However, I believe that the strongest portrayal is the hard copy of the play itself. It has so much to offer any person who picks it up the read it. As a high school student acting out the part of Juliet, it was heartbreaking to read the lines. There is so much sorrow and beauty in this single play that it is almost impossible to never partake in the reading of it. For many teenagers it would provide a foundation for the symbol and understanding of true love is, but with that understanding would allow for teaching about the proper waiting for this love to happen because then it wouldn’t be so difficult to pull off. It also allows for discussions about families and how a person’s individual identity is wrapped up in your last name and the weight that it carries. There is background and history that is found in heritage and this would also provide an interesting topic for discussion.

This post is all over the place. There is so much to say about this play. There is so much to say about the lives in this story. To top it all off, there is so much to say about the theme of love that can pull people together but in the process, can cause much heartache, strife and much tragedy!

 

“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs.”

 

“Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it.”