We are meeting on SUNDAY 7p.m. UK time to discuss Romeo and Juliet. Joining details below. I’ll be talking about why I think Romeo is a darker character than he’s often seen as.
Start the discussion in the comments here, with any thoughts about the play and any questions. What did you think of the apothecary? Is the nurse a wicked character? Why is this such an ensemble play? How should we interpret the prologue?
Also tell us—Was it your first read? Did you see it differently this time? What have you noticed about Shakespeare’s art?
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the prologue is fascinating...is it playing with the audience a little bit, like a gentle mockery? The Chorus insists that we look at what is about to occur as the only possible way to keep the peace between these two families. It offers us Romeo and Juliet as scapegoats, sacrifices for the greater good. In the bird's eye view this will all be worth while, The Chorus insists.
But of course we don't go to a play for the birds eye view. We want the granular. Romeo is in a state of impatient despair from beginning to end. Juliet is betrayed by her parents, and her Nurse, and ends up stabbing herself to death. The pair of star-crossed lovers won't get much comfort from the prologue. Nor would the audience. In fact, I think it might rile them up a bit.
is the Nurse wicked? I'm not sure. Does she give Juliet the advice she does (to marry Paris) because she is attempting to keep Juliet safe and nothing more? In Act 3 sc 5, the Nurse sticks up for Juliet as Old Capulet attacks her for ingratitude. But then after Capulet and Lady Capulet leave, Juliet perceives that her Nurse, the one that raised her, is in fact two-faced