I really dislike

ravenray

Shakespeare....  Well actually it's Romeo and Juliet.  I am trying (for 3 days) to write a paper about them and some of the movies done on them.  It is so hard to not put down my opinion about how they are a bunch of infatuated teenagers.  But NO everyone goes on about how great their love story is... I still have yet to see what is so cool about meeting getting married and dying all in a space of about 3 days.  Sure forbidden love is cool but I am sorry I am not into taking my life just because my love died.  Anyways I would put this down in my paper but my teacher doesn't care about my opinion and she really likes them.  I want an A in this class but this paper is C worthy..... Bleh Thanks for letting me rant.  How is everyone's Sunday going?

Narwhal

I'm with you. I don't get the romance of it either.

loves2shop4shoes

Ok, I'll disagree with you here.  Then again, one of my majors in college was English.  This is Shakespeare here.  It's not supposed to be about the literal "They're hormonal teenagers who only knew each other 3 days" bit.  Think past the literal to the symbolic and you'll do great.  Getting a really good, annotated copy of the play may be a step in the right direction.

ravenray

Hah Shoes.... my major is English.  I guess... but I guess it is hard for me because in RL people give youth a lot of hassle for wanting to get married young but they seems so willing to overlook the fact that Juliet was 14....  I also have a hard time in believing that they were really in love at that age....  Maybe he was but she was 14!  Sadly even though that is a really good idea my paper is due tomorrow.  It needs some serious work.

deburnin

I'm reminded of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwnFE_NpMsE

ravenray

deburnin- You are my friend for life!  Thank you!  That was awesome!

bethsmiles

I enjoyed Romeo and Juliet, it wasn't my favorite but it was enjoyable and probably the easiest of Shakespear's plays to read. I think that if you want to write your paper about how you really feel about the play then you should do that. If you do a good job and back up your opinion so that its not just ranting your professor might not give you the grade you think she will.

I'd rather write an A paper that might get knocked down a grade because I don't agree with the professor that reflects what I really think then write a C paper and hope I get a better grade because the professor agrees with me.

I personally hated reading Crime and Punishment. The beginning was good and the end was good but the middle was way too long and boring. The movie with Patrick Dempsey wasn't bad though.

loves2shop4shoes

You know what you could write about...Shakespeare's subtextual indication that Juliet is nothing more than a substitute for Rosaline and is too stupid to notice this.

calindi

My Mom gave me the advice when I started college that you'll get an A for every literature paper you're able to relate to sex.  Just involve a lot of sex and you'll be fine!  Talk about how poison is a symbol for how their sexual passion overwhelmed their better judgement, how the dagger represented the pain the families' divide caused for Juliet.

Personally, I love the play.  But I'm the kind of dork that was reading Shakespeare for fun in 4th grade.  I was Juliet in our high school R&J play... I can still recite most of the lines!

calindi

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_really-dislike?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:655d0954-7673-4f66-81a3-c9eb329cd980Post:89463e0d-62ec-4a69-b109-5385c1c78764">Re: I really dislike</a>:
[QUOTE]You know what you could write about...Shakespeare's subtextual indication that Juliet is nothing more than a substitute for Rosaline and is too stupid to notice this.
Posted by loves2shop4shoes[/QUOTE]

So true!  He really plays up how naive and innocent they are, between Romeo's fickle nature, and Juliet's dramatic passion.  Some people can see that as a positive - innocent love being pure - but others can certainly see that time may have played out a far less romantic love story than the one given by early demise.

desertsun

Ugh, I hear ya, Raven. 

I was a lit major, and love most Shakespeare.

But I've never liked R&J!

I can appreciate it as a piece of literature, but I just don't enjoy it b/c the ending bugs me so much.

ravenray

You guys are amazing! Thanks so much for all the ideas.  I will use them in my paper.  And really I do like Romeo and Juliet, I don't hate it I just don't have the same kind of passion for it that seems to be expected of English majors....   And Beth I didn't like Crime and Punishment too much either...  It was so dragged out.

bethsmiles

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_really-dislike?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:655d0954-7673-4f66-81a3-c9eb329cd980Post:6cbd6db5-9247-4087-822c-005cdca77927">Re: I really dislike</a>:
[QUOTE]You guys are amazing! Thanks so much for all the ideas.   I will use them in my paper.   And really I do like Romeo and Juliet, I don't hate it I just don't have the same kind of passion for it that seems to be expected of English majors.... :(   And Beth I didn't like Crime and Punishment too much either...   It was so dragged out.
Posted by ravenray[/QUOTE]

I was an English major once and some of my classmates loved everything that the teacher assigned us to read or at least pretended too.

I also dislike Faulkner and Steinbeck, there are a lot of authors I really enjoy but no can be passionate about every author or book or play or poem, ect. out there, even English majors.

marleylikeair

Aw, raven! We SO cannot be friends now. ::cries::

Kidding. It does make me a little sad when people talk about not liking R & J, though. Good luck with the paper. Sounds like the gals have already given you some great ideas.

I may have more thoughts for you tomorrow, but don't forget that 14 was a reasonable age to get married within the time period the play is set. Remember the line--I can't remember if it's the Nurse or Lady Capulet who says it--"Younger than she are happy mothers made"?

bsidebella

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_really-dislike?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:655d0954-7673-4f66-81a3-c9eb329cd980Post:61ce9a89-618e-4913-a612-8f7143088765">Re: I really dislike</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm reminded of this:  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwnFE_NpMsE" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwnFE_NpMsE</a>
Posted by deburnin[/QUOTE]

IFL Sassy Gay Friend. I made a thread about it like a year ago LOL.

"SAVE IT PATTY HEARST! I'm not buying any Stockholm Syndrome today!"
"I'm a grown woman!"
"I think you're 14 and you're an idiot. You took a roofie from a priest. Look at your life, look at your choices. Have you even slept with this guy?"
"...I did."
"...YOU BIG SLUT, GOOD FOR YOU!!"

I could quote that front to back. *shame*

cu97tiger

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_really-dislike?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special%20Topic%20Wedding%20BoardsForum:136Discussion:655d0954-7673-4f66-81a3-c9eb329cd980Post:61ce9a89-618e-4913-a612-8f7143088765">Re: I really dislike</a>:
[QUOTE]I'm reminded of this:  <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwnFE_NpMsE" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lwnFE_NpMsE</a>
Posted by deburnin[/QUOTE]

<div>This was an AWESOME way to start my Monday morning... Thank you!</div>

MLekathLEEN

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_really-dislike?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:655d0954-7673-4f66-81a3-c9eb329cd980Post:7465dde8-af77-4389-987d-4ebd1cd4f918">Re: I really dislike</a>:
[QUOTE]In Response to Re: I really dislike : This was an AWESOME way to start my Monday morning... Thank you!
Posted by cu97tiger[/QUOTE]



Agreed. I just got to watching it this morning.

lmwilber

I always thought of R&J as one of WS's best comedies with a tragic ending. I know its one of his 'tragidies' but honestly, I think the Nurse is one of the best bit characters he ever wrote. She knows what's going on, and is ok with kids being kids, but then things get out of control, and its too late and boom! Plus, it might help to picture how the play would have been staged, with men playing all the parts. It takes away some of the overt romantic context, and the faults and foibles that WS was trying to point out about society really shine through. 

HeartOverMind

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_not-engaged-yet_really-dislike?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:136Discussion:655d0954-7673-4f66-81a3-c9eb329cd980Post:6cbd6db5-9247-4087-822c-005cdca77927">Re: I really dislike</a>:
[QUOTE]You guys are amazing! Thanks so much for all the ideas.   I will use them in my paper.   And really I do like Romeo and Juliet, I don't hate it I<strong> just don't have the same kind of passion for it that seems to be expected of English majors.... </strong>:(   And Beth I didn't like Crime and Punishment too much either...   It was so dragged out.
Posted by ravenray[/QUOTE]

I'm an English major and I can't stand Shakespeare! I think professors spend too much time obsessing over him. Blah. I'd rather read Christopher Marlowe because he is controversial and didn't care what others thought of his work (but I guess that's why he was killed by the government...).