Can one really talk about “classics” without bringing up Shakespeare‘s The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet? I’m sure you know the story already; you probably had to read it high school. Seven times. On the off-chance that you never read the play, or if you simply forget the story, I’ll include a quick summary of it, “spoilers” and all.
Romeo is a Montague, while Juliet is a Capulet. They fall in love, but because of their feuding families, their love is forbidden. After being involved in a fatal fight, Romeo is banished. In a plot to be with Romeo again, Juliet fakes her death using a poison that puts her in a death-like coma for two days. Romeo, who does not receive word of this plan, returns to find her “dead” and kills himself, and when Juliet awakens to find him dead, she kills herself, too.
Why include spoilers? Shakespeare never intended the ending of a play to be a secret. Indeed, Shakespeare tells us in the sixth line of the prologue, “A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life.” The plot of Romeo and Juliet was already a well-known story when Shakespeare published his version. (That’s right, he didn’t even come up with the original story.) It was in the way the story was told that earned Shakespeare his literary credit. To read Romeo and Juliet with the intention of simply understanding the plot is not worth one’s time. One has to read the play while constantly asking questions.
For example, can the play really even be considered a tragedy? Much of the dialogue in the play, especially the remarks made by Mercutio or the Nurse, is actually comical, not tragic. Furthermore, a tragedy, by its literary definition, involves a character of high rank who falls from this position because of a character flaw, such as stubbornness. Romeo and Juliet are not of high rank, but what about the second part of the definition? Do we attribute their death to reckless, young love, to their feuding, or perhaps, to the stars (fate)? Was it anyone’s fault?
If you’re thinking about rereading the play, you might find it worthwhile reading various critical analyses beforehand. That way, you will be able to delve deeper into the text as you read it. Romeo and Juliet can seem like a completely new story depending on how it is read, and that’s what makes it a classic.
