Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Here is the first of three reviews by Bryan, guest reviewer from Mr. Relyea's CD class, 8th grade.

A Pair of Star-Crossed Lovers take their Life.

Do you believe in love at first sight? One of his most famous tragedies, Romeo and Juliet, insists that Shakespeare believed.

While a bloody feud between two families, the Capulets and Montagues, rages on in the streets of Verona, Romeo and Juliet, a pair of star-crossed lovers take their life. This story contains many complex themes ranging from infatuation to true love, from loyalty to betrayal, and from honor to bloodlust.

Surprisingly, Mercutio, a sub-character was more appealing to me than Romeo, the protagonist. Romeo has extreme emotions: he is in love at one moment, in despair the other, and repeats the whole process again. Such inconsistencies show how Romeo is essentially flawed. In contrast, Mercutio plays the wit and “life-of-the-party,” who remains a loyal friend to Romeo. Although he seems like a trivial character throughout most of the play, at the moment of his death, we are able to measure the true intensity of his character since the play’s entire tone changes with his untimely death.

I highly recommend this masterpiece to anyone interested in the romance of the classics, for this book is the best of what Shakespeare can offer.