After reading Romeo and Juliet , viewing at least one production, and reading the lecture, you are now ready to discuss elements of the play here in discussion board virtual space. Choose just 2 of the questions below to write a 100 word minimum response to each question, quoting at least once from the play, citing the Act, Scene, and Lines. Use standard formatting for this--for example: (2.3.44-47) means Act Two, Scene Three, Lines 45 to 47.
Once you have posted two responses, then respond with a substantive answer to two of your classmates (not a compliment or a criticism per se, but a response to the content of the play as viewed by a classmate).
- Romeo and Juliet argues for the freedom to choose one's mate. Explain.
- What did Shakespeare’s audience know about Italy?
- Romeo and Juliet contains several sonnets. Please simply quote one of them here.
- How does the suicidal impulse that both Romeo and Juliet exhibit relate to the overall theme of young love? Does Shakespeare seem to consider a self-destructive tendency inextricably connected with love, or is it a separate issue? Why do you think so?
- Apart from clashing with Tybalt, what role does Mercutio play in the story? Is he merely a colorful supporting character and a brilliant source of comic relief, or does he serve a more serious purpose?
Watch the production by Zeffirelli