As we discussed in our Zoom class, use the comment section of this blog post to explain which of the two versions of Romeo & Juliet that we watched is your preferred version: the Zeffirelli (the one we watched in school) or the Lurhmann (our drive-in version). Make sure to be specific about what elements of your preferred version affect your choice and why you preferred those elements over those of the other version.
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You've carefully considered whether Romeo & Juliet's relationship was true love or just a crush--and you did a wonderful job of it! I very much enjoyed reading your posts.
Now, this week, consider who's to blame, in the end, for all this mess. Certainly, it's a very complex situation, and everyone in some way or another contributed to the tragedy that played out, but if you had to bring a single character to trial over the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, who would you indict (i.e. accuse)? All of the characters are possibilities. So, below, in a comment on this blog post, make your case: name your accused (it can be more than one character if you think that their actions are inextricably linked), provide evidence (specific details and/or words from the play) for your accusation, and use reasoning to explain why you believe your chosen character(s) is/are most to blame. And that will be it for the week. Your post (at least one solid paragraph with your claim, evidence, and reasoning) is due by noon on Thursday, April 9th. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy--no doubt about it. In the end, as Prince Escalus declares that "All are punished," we know that he doesn't have to lift a finger to carry out any punishments: fate and natural consequences have done that for him. When we see or experience a tragedy (real-world or fictional), eventually, we often find ourselves asking the question "Whose fault is it, though?" For this tragedy, that's an especially tough question.
Before we can tackle any question of "fault," though, we need to first consider what was actually going on between Romeo and Juliet. According to Taylor Swift, it's a love story--but perhaps she isn't the best authority on healthy romantic relationships (¯\_(ツ)_/¯). If it were true love and R&J would have likely led a happy, healthy life together, then characters like Fr. Lawrence and the Nurse certainly did the right thing in helping them get married. If their relationship was just a teenage crush that they both took too far, then who is a wise hero and who is a reckless villain changes. Of course, we can't predict the future or know for certain how things might have turned out differently for R&J, but after last week's reading assignment, you do know a bit more about the difference between love and a crush, and using that knowledge, you can think more critically and accurately about the relationship between our two main characters. At the end of the week, you'll be replying to this post (leave your own comment by filling in the boxes under "Leave a Reply;" you should not enter anything for "Website"), making your case as to whether Romeo & Juliet is a case of true love or whether it is a simple teenage crush. In the meantime, however, check out class calendar above for a few challenges that need to be tackled before you're ready to make your case. |