Monday, April 30, 2007
It's a Popularity Contest
Why do you think The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet remains so popular? What is it about the characters of Romeo and Juliet that makes it so easy for young people to identify with them? Explain your answers to these questions, making at least two references to specific details in the play to support your ideas.
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15 comments:
Romeo and Juliet is the classic love story. It contains everything you need. Opposition, true love, and most of all, fate. These two young lovers are so easy to identify with because you hear of a story like theirs every day. These two kids are desperatly in love, and a determined to make it work. Even though there isn't a great time difference to their meeting(two days), they are in love. Their parents, though, have other people and ideas in their minds for their children. More later the bells about to ring.
I think the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet remains so popular because teeenagers these days can relate to the way they felt. Romeo and Juliet were in love but they couldn't be together because of their families rivalry in some ways their love is like many of todays couple that are in love. In todays society we don't have family rivalries but there are families that dislike each other. When Juliet finds out that Tybalt was killed by Romeo she is torn between love and hate because she loves Romeo but he is now a murderer. In many cases in today's society things very similar to this happen such as a husband will kill his sister-in-law in a car crash. The characters of ROmeo and Juliet are so easy to identify with because how they felt is so similar to the way teenagers these days feel.
Monica(I'll write more later the bell is about to ring.)
I believe the reason it is still popular is because like Melana said it IS the
classic love story. One of the reasons I think has remained so popular is because it hasn't just sat there on the book shelf. The play is still performed and there are a few movies of it too. It remains popular because it is in view. The reason it is in view is because it does contain a little bit of everything, although mostly a love story. There is obviously romance between Romeo and Juilet, and there is violence between the families. It's suspenseful because you're not quite sure (like anything you read) what is going to happy. Shakespear did a good job of writing it because he wrote it to build tension between the characters with this suspense.
I think the reason teens today can identify with Romeo and Juliet is because they are basically the typical teenagers. Romeo wants a relationship and wants to have love in his life, while Juliet isn't really sure of what she wants. Romeo wants to be with Rosaline until he finds Juliet, then he is hopelessly in love with her and forgets about Rosaline. Although we don't have much information about his past relationships, he seems to switch from one girl to the next (possibly by accident because he doesn't really mean to fall in love with someone else, it just sort of happens), like some (but not all) boys today. Juliet isn't really sure of what she wants to do with her life, and she just really wants to stay a kid for a little but longer. She is asked by her mother to try to like Paris because her father wants her to marry him, but she is not particularly interested because she isn't really ready for marriage and like I said, she really doesn't want to grow up all that much, even though she may act mature in some situations. I don't think she that she thinks she is ready for the responsibilities of marriage.
Alexa
I think that the reason Romeo and Juliet's story remains so popular today and in the past is because of the way they relate to the common teenagers. Romeo and Juliet's situation is like today's teens' in the way that they feel their parents are misunderstanding. Although, arranged marriages aren't common today, the way Juliet's dad arranged for her to marry Paris without her consent is a prime example of the why teens feel the way the do today. Parents may try to "understand", but really it's not that easy to tap into a teen's brain. Another reason is, like Melana and Alexa have said, the typical love story with a magical beginning, juicy middle, and sad end, is so easy to relate to. Every relationship starts out so magical and flawless, until you find each other's true identity, like Romeo and Juliet did. The middle of the relationship is full of controversy and problems, such as the marriage and Romeo's sentence to be banished. The end of this type of relationship is usually sad. In this particular setting the two break up because of a tragedy: death. It could also be someone else that causes the two to end the relationship. Anyway it ends, this story is so magical and controversial that it's partly what everyone wants in their love, but partly what they fear. Those are the elements that make it so desirable.
~KaTeLiN~
I think that the reason Romeo and Juliet remains so popular is that everybody can relate to the story in some way. Some people relate to Romeo when he thinks he is in love with Rosaline and then he falls in love with Juliet. For others, they may relate to Juliet when she has to choose between her father's love or Romeo's love. At some point in life, people will have to make a decision and that is where Romeo and Juliet "kicks in". The media also helps the story remain popular. There are still plays and movies out about this story. Shakespeare wrote a very compatible play and that is why Romeo and Juliet is still popular.
I think that the reason Romeo and Juliet appeals to a teenage audience is because the story has everything teenagers are dealing with and it's all wrapped up in one story. The story has violence, treachery, and deceit for the male audience and love and fantasy for the female audience. Whether it be in the streets of Verona or in the houses of the families, the story is filled with violence. Throughout the whole story there is also the theme of love between Romeo and Juliet and between Juliet and Paris.
Jennifer
O.k. I'm back. Well, as I was saying, the parents are totally against Romeo and Juliet's relationship. Even though, Juliet says, "Romeo, Romeo, Wherefore art thou Romeo? Refuse thy father, and deny thy name and I'll no longer be a Capulet." Juleit is willing to risk her family name, she's willing to kill herself, she is willing to fake her own death, so that she and Romeo can be together. Romeo is willing to do the same, too. It's true love, and through that, they are willing to risk it all. That is why this love story has stayed so popular all these years. Now, people don't see that all too often, so when you do, we cherish it. Even though I am completely confused half of the time, and I think that Romeo and Juliet are retards most of it(the choices they make), I still love the story for it's value of love. The way that they talk isn't all that great, but the words have a meaning that is understood all too well, when it comes to love. So, here's to Romeo and Juliet, may their love live on and inspire us and those that come behind us.
-Melana-
I'm pretty sure that everybody has at least mentioned once how the story line is amazing. However, I would like to expand on that as well. The story remains popular for young teens, probably because teens are usually dealing with how they love so and so now, and they will do anything for them. Also in the story Juliet confesses her undying love for Romeo when she said she would do anything, even kill herself for him. Most teens believe that their current love is the one and that they would be willing to do anything for them also. However, the other people who might not quite be in the "I love you" stage might also be able to relate the story to themselves when Romeo feels so committed to Rosaline, then falls for Juliet. Let me elaborate on that. The teens may not know exactly what they want. They may be confused and their emotions running wild. I believe that the story will also remain popular if movie makers continue having "cuties" play Romeo as well. For example, Leonardo DiCaprio. He helps draw people into watching the movie, then the story itself takes over. No one I know has told me that the story line stinks. They all love it.
~AsHlEy~
I agree with Melana. In reality you do tend to hear stories about things like this happening. People always enjoy a good romance. Two people that fall in love, but their families dislike each other, so they are forced to see each other by other means. You can't separate true love no matter how harsh things get. It could also be because so many students now are forced to read it, but I think it has a really good storyline. When Romeo decides not to fight Tybalt it is because they are related even if Tybalt doesn't know it. That shows Romeo's respect for Juliet. When Juliet drinks the potion she doesn't know if it will work or if it will kill her, but she is willing to drink it for Romeo. It's very similar to the West Side Story where 2 members from different gangs fall in love. They were kept apart because of the hatred felt by both sides of their families and friends. We always want to see good prevail, but the ending doesn't always turn out the way we think it should.
Ana
I agree a lot with Alexa. I think that Romeo and Juliet is so popular because it has been expanded on and that people can see it still in plays and movies (or be forced to read it in English class). I think that people like it because it also relates to their life. Everbody knows somebody that falls for a different guy or girl every other day. So that gives them something in common with Romeo. And they can also see Juliets problem because her parents want the opposite of what she wants and what teenager doesn't have the same problem at home. All in all think that these things in combination with the good plot and suspenseful story line make Romeo and Juliet an entertaining and enlightening story. (Even if you didn't read it by your own free will)
robert
I agree with Melana that Romeo and Juliet is the classic love story. It remains very popular today because teenagers can relate to the emotions that Romeo and Juliet felt. Like Robert said, most people do know someone like Romeo, who falls for a different person everyday. I think teenagers relate to Romeo in that way. I also think that teenagers relate to the "young love" of the story. Even though they are young, Romeo and Juliet are convinced that they love each other. This sounds like a lot of "high school sweethearts" you hear about today. When Romeo killed Tybalt and Juliet was torn between the two is like when your dating someone that has hurt, physically or emotionally, someone very close to you. Your torn between the two. Like Alexa said, I think another reason Romeo and Juliet remains so popular is because it is still performed and read. There are movies about it, and classes read it still to this day. In my opinion, these are some of the things that make Romeo and Juliet one of the most popular literary peices of all time.
-Presley-
Ihre Klasse ist am kühlsten, obwohl Casanova und juliet als wathing mollasses in der Winter Zeit bohren, und hören einer alten klassischen Musikaufzeichnung zu
克里斯自由民
Romeo and Juliet relates to the young people mostly I think because Romeo and Juliet were just teenage kids themselves. It has remain so populare because even through the years teenagers have acted and stayed the same. It also relates to the teenage love drama thing people have going on now. For example kids sneeking out to see one another whith out their parents knowing.
I think people like Romeo and Juliet because its easy for young people to compare themselves to them. Not only that but Romeo and Juliet is like the classic love story. I think many love stories written after Romeo and Juliet have been based upon this story.
I agree with Patrick because I also believe that Romeo and Juliet relate to us so much because they were just teenagers themselves. Most of the things that they went through, we went through like uneccesary drama in our lives. It's probably stayed so popular througout the years just because of the similarities between teens in that time and teens in this time. Seth
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