The play “Romeo and Juliet”, the reviews of which are the subject of this review, is one of the most famous works of the famous English playwright and poet W. Shakespeare. Written around 1595, it still does not leave the theatrical stage, delighting not only the fans of the author, but also ordinary viewers. Famous directors today turn to the most sad and touching love story of all time, which indicates the continued interest of modern readers in this work.
Positive opinions about the protagonist
The characters of the tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” are very reliable and convincing. Reviews of the characters in the work are generally similar. But, oddly enough, opinions about the image of the protagonist were different. Some readers respond very positively about him, noting the immediacy of his character, sincere and pure love, devotion to friendship, natural courage, intelligence and enterprise. This part of the audience liked the subtle humor and refined, even somewhat courtly speech of the young man. They pay attention to the fact that he behaves very at ease, but at the same time respectful and polite. Readers of this opinion unanimously assert that the young man is devoted and selfless, as befits a true lover.
Negative opinions about him
The work “Romeo and Juliet,” reviews of which are interesting in that they show how much a play of more than four hundred years ago arouses interest among readers of the beginning of the twenty-first century, turned out to be so convincing and reliable that there are still disputes around it among critics as well as and among readers. This refers to the image of Romeo. Another part of the readers note that his character against the background of his ardent girlfriend looks somewhat pale. They note that it is expressed in pompous phrases that cannot be heard in ordinary speech, and behaves theatrically, uttering an overly complex monologue under the girl’s balcony. In addition, they indicate that his image is not so positive as it might seem at first glance. Some readers note his sudden rage, which led to the brutal murder of the cousin of the girl Tybalt. However, such controversial opinions mean that the author was able to fully interest readers with an interesting hero, who, with all his apparent positivity, turned out to be ambiguous.
Readers about the main character
Very credibly conveyed the spirit of the era in the play "Romeo and Juliet." User reviews suggest that they fully appreciated how masterfully the playwright conveyed the characters of his characters who lived in the distant 16th century. The last remark is best applied to the image of Juliet. In her person, the author embodied the representative of the highest Italian Renaissance estate. Readers unanimously argue that in this love duet, the main role belongs to Juliet, who, in fact, takes the first decisive step toward rapprochement, offering her lover a secret marriage. Readers note that her speech is more lively and direct than the monologues of her fan. They indicate that the girl thinks more specifically and objectively, and to achieve her goal she immediately decides to take such a serious step as marrying a family hostile to her father.
About her character
Review of the play “Romeo and Juliet” allows you to better understand the motivation and behavior of the characters. Many readers rightly argue that the dynamism and a sense of continuity of action is achieved largely due to the behavior of the protagonist, who throughout the whole story is very active and decisive. Her monologue before taking sleeping pills is very expressive, in which she talks about her fears and horror at the prospect of being alive in the family crypt. However, the girl suppresses her doubts and drinks a drink. And only in one scene, readers note a contradiction in its nature. We are talking about the episode in which the author describes the heroine's reaction to the news of Tybalt's death. As if forgetting about her love for her husband, she showers him with accusations, reproaches and complaints, which give her a passionate, strong and rather impulsive nature.
Readers' Opinions on Family Feuds
The review of the read book “Romeo and Juliet” shows that history has not lost its relevance to this day. This is proved by the fact that the issue of the struggle between Montecchi and Capulet is being discussed especially vigorously at user forums. In the assessment of this storyline, all readers are unanimous, claiming that the hostility described by the playwright is ridiculous and stupid, and might look ridiculous if it did not lead to so many victims. Users unanimously argue that the confrontation of families is completely unreasonable, their conflicts, skirmishes look caricatured, and seem to be needed only to explain to the reader why the main characters cannot be together.
Historical context
Feedback on the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet can be taken into account when reading it in order to pay attention to the key points of the work. Regarding the topic of quarrels of families of heroes, some readers rightly see in this storyline a reflection of the political situation in Italy, in which the parties constantly waged a struggle for power and influence in the city, and that Shakespeare very accurately conveyed the spirit of the feudal era, when such sort of conflict was commonplace. Others argue that the motives of the struggle are not spelled out in the play itself, which gives it some contrivedness. Be that as it may, despite some ambiguity, the confrontation between the two genera served as a good background for describing duels, brawls and exchanges of witticisms.
Users about Mercutio
This is probably the most beloved character by all readers. Romeo's cheerful, cheerful friend seems to have become a universal favorite. Thanks to his inexhaustible fun, wit, cheerfulness, he immediately won the love and respect of even the most picky fans of the great English playwright. According to the majority of the audience, his enchanting, full of subtle humor and sparkling jokes monologue about Queen Mab is a real masterpiece of the literary language. And the more tragic and sadder Shakespeare described his death. “Romeo and Juliet” (an essay, review of this play can be offered to schoolchildren in the lessons of foreign literature) is a tragedy that plays in contrasts. This is very well traced on the fate of Mercutio.
About his death
Most readers are unanimous in their opinion that the absurd death of this cheerful, full of life, strength and energy of a young man is one of the most tragic moments in the work, largely due to the circumstances of the duel between him and Tybalt. Mercutio, as a true friend of Romeo, stood up for him when Juliet's brother began to insult him, and accidentally died partly due to the fault of his friend, who, trying to separate the duelists, accidentally set his hand so that the enemy could deliver a mortal blow. Many users note that Mercutio’s attempts to remain true to himself even before his death look especially heartbreaking, especially in the scene when he, half in jest, still casts his last dying curse on both houses.
About the nurse
The play “Romeo and Juliet,” a brief review of which is impossible to imagine without a description of the character’s nanny, amazes with the variety of characters of the characters. In this regard, Shakespeare proved to be a true master of psychological portraiture. One of the most famous characters in the work is the nurse. She is not the direct engine of the plot, and her direct role in the whole story is limited to the fact that she gives Romeo a note from Juliet. However, her character turned out to be so colorful that almost all users somehow mention her in their reviews, noting her faithful, touching love for a girl, worldly wisdom, devoid of any bookishness, but based on simple common sense that was inherent to people from ordinary people . Many readers note that the nurse plays a greater role in the life of the heroine than her mother.
Opinions about other heroes
Shakespeare created an entire gallery of characters in his work. “Romeo and Juliet” (a review of the play can help students understand this seemingly simple story) - a play in which many other secondary characters are involved that create the background of the story. One of them is the brother of the heroine Tybalt. According to most users, this image was especially successful for the author, since he managed to show the energy and impulsiveness of this young man in just a few scenes. Many point to the importance of the image of the duke, who was trying hard to end the conflict. The controversy caused the figure of the monk Lorenzo. Readers point out that he is presented as a wise and judicious person who hoped for reconciliation of families after the marriage of their children. Others draw attention to the fact that he failed to foresee such a terrible development of events, as he did not assume that the lovers would act so quickly and impulsively.
About the plot
A review of the book Romeo and Juliet allows you to better understand the meaning of the story told by the playwright. Most readers find the story to be exciting, interesting, and dynamic. They note that the rapid development of action does not release attention for a minute. At the same time, readers write that the author very logically and consistently entered all the scenes into the overall composition of the play.