romeo and juliet. william shakespeare. (57)

again flavorpill's "30 before 30" list is the motivation behind another book. shakespeare's "much ado about nothing" is on list but the description explains:

We expect that by the time you’re 30 you’ll have read several Shakespeare plays — we recommend one per year at least, starting at age 12 — but this one is our favorite.

i sadly realized that i have never read a complete shakespeare play. "romeo and juliet" was assigned my freshman year, and i only read 3/4 of it. we were assigned "othello" my senior year which i never read though i do remember this hilarious satire we created about race and sexual orientation for a class assignment.

however what makes my relationship with shakespeare even sadder is the fact that our drama teacher was a shakespeare fanatic and i was cast as a member of the chorus for at least 2 plays . . . and still have never read a play.

so i decided to redeem myself and read them all (hopefully before 30). so i decided to start with "romeo and juliet" because it's where my relations with shakespeare should have started 15 years ago.

the funny thing while reading it, images from the 1968 movie (with a young michael york. swoon) and the lurhmann version (no swoon for leo, i have never found him sexy) were both in my head. though 68 beat out leo and claire, in the end.

finally reading shakespeare and not relying upon cliffnotes. i learned:

a. tybalt and mercutio were cousins to the prince (missed that my freshman year and sadly didn't realize it while watching endless rehearsal of my high school's production of it.)
b. consummating marriages was a top priority back then.
c. shakespeare sure did love his sexual innuendoes. (the nurse's jokes about juliet being on her back?!?!)
c. he sure knew how to write about love:

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.

or

How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,
Like softest music to attending ears.

i also appreciated (though not about love):

True, I talk of dreams,
Which are the children of an idle brain,
Begot of nothing but vain fantasy

one reason that i never gave shakespeare a chance was, i could not follow his flow (i know, this makes him sound like kanye) but now that i am older, his words make more sense. or maybe i am just paying attention for the first time. nonetheless, i look forward to reading the rest of his works.

ps i would also just like to add though i may not have paid attention to our high school production of "romeo and juliet" like i should have. i did create a magic moment in the play. i suggested that our drama teacher play the foo fighters' "doll" as juliet drinks the poison. in my own humble opinion it was beautiful.

perfect huh?