Romeo and Juliet was a truly heartfelt story that I deeply connected to. Emotions of love, sadness, excitement, and happiness swept my mind through the entirety of the film. For example, the numerous fight scenes left me exhilarated, and the tragic death scene had me heartbroken. The way Shakespeare was able to impeccably transfer the feelings of the characters was simply remarkable, although there were times where I was a bit confused.
The diction and register used in the play left me somewhat clueless, as I had never read or heard any form of “Elizabethan English” before. The grammatical and verbal structures found in Romeo and Juliet, including the prologue, greatly differ from modern-day English. This made the meaning of certain lines difficult to decipher before getting a translation from Mr. MacKnight. Though it was difficult to understand, it was still nevertheless beautiful to listen to.
Within the prologue, Shakespeare’s poeticism took various forms. For me, his imagery and alliteration skills were clearly prominent. For example, “Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean,” (l. 4). This was one of my favourite lines from the prologue, as I pictured a violent, bloody battle scene with two families in the centre of a city. Later on in the prologue, Shakespeare writes, “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life,” (l. 6). This line painted the picture of two lovers taking their lives to symbolise their deep affinity for each other. One line was particularly prominent to me however. “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes,” (l. 5). The alliteration and double meaning of this line was simply a stroke of genius from Shakespeare, where “loins” signified the reproductive organs as well as the “lines” of genealogy from either family.
This play will stick with me, as it leaves me questioning the depths of true love. “So soon forsaken? Young men’s love then lies Not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes,” (Act 2, Scene 3, Friar Lawrence, ll. 67-68). Should one love another for their appearance over their character, or does character take precedence over looks?