Talk:Romeo and Juliet

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Why are there references to the same radiohead and dire straits song in the musical AND the trivia section? and why is one of the radiohead references contradictory to the other?

What is the significance of the date 29 January 1595 in the first paragraph? If it's the date the play first opened, then the article should state this. --Mintie 02:46, 30 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Ages of principals

Is it actually a common view of the play that it was scandalous for Romeo to marry such a young girl? I thought they were both like 12 or 13. Bonus Onus 23:55, Apr 7, 2005 (UTC)

Romeo is much older, IIRC. -- Natalinasmpf 22:11, 2 May 2005 (UTC)
Juliet is 14, Romeo is 17, or so I believe. It could be interpreted that it was scandalous for them to marry so young, since one of the recurrent themes in the play is the foolishness of young love. 69.51.77.162 14:16, 9 May 2005 (UTC) (Reediewes, but I'm not logged on.)
Juliet was 13, Romeo was...17 I think. And no, it was quite normal for marriages of that age (Juliet was going to marry Paris, rememeber - an event arranged by the parents)--Joewithajay 13:21, July 11, 2005 (UTC)
Juliet was two weeks from her fourteenth birthday (Nurse talks about her being two weeks from Lammas (Aug1) eve, Juliet's birthday - making Juliet 13 years and 50 weeks, and the date being two weeks before July 31, July 17th, when nurse makes this speech (the evening of the party/banquet) Crescent 12:12, 8 October 2005 (UTC)
Actually, Lady Capulet says that it is 'a fortnight and odd days' until Lammas (August 1st) and the Nurse says that Juliet shall be 14 'come Lammas Eve [July 31st]'. So while we can be pretty sure that her birthday is on July 31st (though there is some doubt due to the fact that the Nurse says she shall be 14 'come Lammas Eve at night', which could indicate that she will turn 14 at midnight, which would be August 1st), the Capulet banquet cannot be on July 17th, due to the 'odd days' over a fortnight until Lammas and the fact that they were referring to the time until Lamas, not Lamas Eve. - Green Tentacle 16:52, 26 November 2006 (UTC)
It was not at all scandalous for Romeo to marry such a young girl. Juliet's mother chastizes her daughter, saying that girls younger than she are already mothers. Apparently, marriage at that age was a convention of the time.Smitty Mcgee 19:35, 20 July 2006 (UTC)
The only scandal as far as age went, in this period, was that Juilet was about to turn 14 and had not yet married. Her father was about to marry her off to Count Paris, a much older man, and her mother does in fact say that she herself was already wed by Juliet's age.
It is a common myth that girls were generally married as young as this in Shakespeare's time. It usually only happened with dynastic marriages, and even then the marriage was usually not consumated until the parties had reached 16. Even Capulet himself starts the play thinking his daughter is too young to marry. It is correct that Juliet's mother says she was married at Juliet's age (and also that there's a hint that the nurse lost her virginity at 12). It's wrong, though, to assume Paris is a far older man: he may be so (and the fact that he can have man-to-man conversations with Capulet support that view); however the text is silent on the point and in performance he is often cast as a youth. AndyJones 12:49, 21 July 2006 (UTC)
PS: the text is silent as to Romeo's age. The people above suggesting he is 17 are conjecturing. Stanley Wells says that Romeo should be played as not much older than Juliet, for what that is worth. AndyJones 12:51, 21 July 2006 (UTC)

I was always told that Romeo was exactly 16 and that Juliet was about the turn 14. Princess Roxanne Aquaviva 04:13, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Is the spoiler warning really warranted?

Its not like there's anything to spoil. You're telling me that there's still a reader that would get the experience "spoiled" by knowing (the generally well known fact) that....*GASP*...THEY DIE?!! I don't think knowing the ending "spoils" anything, considering it IS Romeo and Juliet and the thing that gives most pleasure is watching the drama, not being held in "suspense" (I mean, you probably won't ask subconsciously when seeing Romeo and Juliet, "are they going to die? Or are they not?"). I'm sure as literature students, a lot of us have probably studied a lot of Shakespearan texts and probably knew the ending even without reading it or seeing it before. And that didn't spoil the beauty, did it? ;-) -- Natalinasmpf 22:17, 2 May 2005 (UTC)

Plus the Prologue comes right out and says it in the first fourteen lines of the play: "Two star-crossed lovers take their life..." 69.51.77.162 14:16, 9 May 2005 (UTC) (Reediewes, but I'm not logged on.)

Yes, I feel that the spoiler IS required. After all, if assumptions are made about the audience of an encyclopedia's previous background reading, then the project should only cater for those with an education that sees Shakespeare taught (and in particular, the play 'Romeo and Juliet') Certainly, the feeling that this play is 'generally well known' is understandable, but for those who are new to Shakespeare (for whatever reason), the enjoyment should not be spoiled. Are we to assume also, therefore, that everyone knows other texts, just because it is assumed they are well known? The prologue offers just that - it does not say why they die, how, or for what reason - and thus, the story (akin to the more recent Baz Lurhman film 'Moulin Rouge') is not tainted but added to by knowing part of the plot. The emotions that are gained by the audience entering into the play with foreknowledge of the developments only serve to add to the receiving of the play, not hinder it. Crescent 01:21, 18 September 2005 (UTC)

So basically you're saying that he tells the plot so that the audience gather more emotions throughout the play? He doesn't exactly spoil the ending but he gives insight into it?

Also, in the time period, most everybody knew the story Shakespeare's Italic textRomeo and JulietItalic text is based on, Italic textThe Tragicall Historye of Romeus and JulietItalic text. Everybody knew Romeo and Juliet were going to die, and if they didn't, the Chorus tells us in the Prologue.Dachshund2k3 00:58, 22 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] first sentence

the first sentence says:

  • "Romeo and Juliet is a famous play by William Shakespeare concerning the fate of two young star-crossed lovers. January 29, 1595."

What is that date? Kingturtle 02:03, 5 May 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Secret marriage

Back before this talk page was blanked I changed this sentence in the article-

The young lovers decide to marry without informing their parents, because they would undoubtedly disallow it due to the ancient grudge between the two families.

The real reason they couldn't marry openly is because of the intended Paris-Juliet marriage. It was common practice in the city-states of medieval Italy for the children of feuding factions to be married off to each other in the hopes that this would result in a cooling of the rivalry. If not for Paris, a Montague-Capulet marriage would have been just the thing to put an end to hostilities. This would have been the case even if the two were not in love, since (as is now noted supra) the children's wishes were rarely taken into account. Sources: Asimov, Dorothy L. Sayers. Ellsworth

The Paris-Juliet marriage is definitely reason, but the feuding families may also be a big reason for the secrecy. Juliet's line "My only love sprung from my only hate" suggests that a marriage between the 2 families would not have gone over well, and neither Montague nor Capulet seemed all that intent on mending the problems between the families. Pnkrockr 15:47, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] where was romeo and juliet set

In Verona mainly, but also partly in Mantua. JackofOz 13:43, 12 September 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Problem with maths/time in the play

Can anyone assist with the problem that I have come across to do with the friar's potion? He gives the potion to her Tuesday night + 42 hours (the length specified in text for drug to trake effect and wear off) makes it... Thursday 6 hours before Juliet retirs to bed on Tuesday (assuming this is around 10pm, she wakes two days later around 4pm).

Yet she wakes up in the night, moments after Romeo commits suicide - nighttime - because it is dawn when the families arrive...

Any ideas anyone? Crescent 12:17, 8 October 2005 (UTC)


Metabolism

don't think about it too much - its a story!

I think Shakespeare was way ahead of Douglas Adams and Andy Warhol on this one. He didn't choose 42 out of thin air, did he now? Let me explain. Assume night arrives at 7pm and ends when dawn breaks at 4:30am. Since Juliet's scheduled to wake up at 4pm, at the very least she needs 3 more hours worth of the drug. And maybe up to 12.5 more hours worth. So, if Will was going to get it wrong, why choose this particular number? Well, our attention has certainly been drawn to 42, so maybe that's the point. This voice from 1603 (or whenever) is saying, like, "Next time you people see 42 again, sit up and take notice of it. And then maybe look with new eyes at this little passage from my play. (slight pause for reflection.) Now back to the time-line. Mid-way is 7.75 hours longer, or 11:45 pm. Fifteen minutes to midnight. Enter Andy Warhol, stage left. He read Shakespeare, but he puts his own twist on it. Andy said, "In the future, everyone will have 15 minutes of fame". Sounds almost cool. But what I think Shakespeare was really saying is, "You will only have 15 minutes in which to achieve fame." What a tough world we're making for ourselves. Think about it. (Thus endeth Jack's metaphysical rant of the month. JackofOz 12:17, 15 March 2006 (UTC)
You maketh my head hurt.--AimeeLee 01:29, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

I don't think that there was any problem with this, so, just forget about it!

[edit] Supposed Inconsistency

Quote (from the article) : "the Friar's messenger is unable to reach Romeo due to Mantua being under quarantine ...An interesting inconsistency in the story. How did the servant get back into Mantua if he saw Juliet's "funeral"?".

As I understand the play, the Friars messenger is actually stalled *before* he reaches Mantua, in a house that is itself under law of quarantine. Therefore there is no quarantine on the whole of Mantua, and no inconsistency in this part of the plot.

hmm

[edit] phrase removed

I removed the following from the write-up of the 1983 film: " and more naturalistic line delivery than was used in Shakespeare's time." This makes no sense--if the implication is that acting in the Renaissance was unnatural or mannered, that assumption is of course false. The link is to naturalism, a disambig page. Chick Bowen 18:30, 8 November 2005 (UTC)

ØÁÁ==O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?== To Hugh7 or anybody else who wants to pipe in: What's the evidence that the popular misunderstanding of the word "wherefore" to mean "where" comes from this specific line of R&J? Hugh7 says "nobody thinks therefore means there", which I think weakens his argument. I infer he's saying that if nobody thinks therefore means there, then why would anybody think wherefore means where. The point is, they have had that mistaken view, which is why we're are pains on this page to point out the error of their ways. We've all seen the iconic image of Juliet on the balcony, palm flat above her eyes, searching despairingly into the distance for her beloved, and crying "wherefore art thou, Romeo?", assuming there is a comma before Romeo, which there's not. The assumption of the comma goes hand in hand with the wrong idea of what wherefore means. However, in Shakespeare's time, the meaning of wherefore would not have been mistaken, either by the actress playing Juliet, or the audience, and it would not have been spoken as if there were a comma there. The misunderstanding has come along some time later, presumably around the time that "wherefore" ceased being a commonly used word, whenever that was. Surely, th

[edit] Accuracy issue

Regarding the 'Source' section:

"It ultimately derives from the 1476 story of Mariotto and Gianozza by Masuccio Salernitano, in Il Novelino."

According to Masuccio Salernitano, Salernitano died in 1475. Unless it was a posthumous release, something's wrong. Deltabeignet 07:57, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

  • Found the problem; Salernitano, according to the page I found, died in 1480. Deltabeignet 08:00, 4 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Proper title

Wikisource calls this play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet - which I believe is the correct full title. I'm not suggesting that the article be renamed, just that the opening sentence display the full title in bold. Is this correct? —EatMyShortz 04:06, 14 February 2006 (UTC)

The problem, here, is the tendency for Quarto and Folio versions to have different titles from each other. The article title should always be what the play is known as today, however, so Romeo and Juliet is right. Let me do a bit of research on the other point. If I find anything I'll post it here, today. AndyJones 10:05, 14 February 2006 (UTC)
Well, the first quarto (a bad quarto) calls itself "An Excellent conceited Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet". Q2, a good quarto and the usual source for modern editions, calls itself "The Most Excellent and lamentable Tragedie of Romeo and Iuliet". The Folio (reprinted from Q2) has "The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet" which may be why Wikisource has the same thing in modern spelling. I think we may either need to incorporate what I've just said into the article, or leave the opening as it is. (My source was the Folger edition. The NPS edition modernises the spellings but then gives fuller quotations. I don't have the Arden or Cambridge R&J, though, which could be counted on to provide the detail.)
I have the Arden edition (Second Series, the most recent available). It declares the second quarto to be the most authentic. The title page of the Q2 edition reads:
THE
MOST EX-
cellent and lamentable
Tragedie, of Romeo and Iuliet.
Newly corrected, augmented, and
amended:
As it hath bene sundry times publiquely acted, by the
right Honourable the Lord Chamberlaine
his Seruants.
LONDON
Printed by the Thomas Creede, for Cuthbert Burby, and are to
be sold at his shop neare the Exchange.
1599.
The Arden edition translates the title into modern English on its own title page, making the title 'The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'. I will update the opening line of the article to reflect this. - Green Tentacle 12:17, 18 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Allusions?

I think the Allusions section should be renamed with a more acurate title. An allusion is an indirect reference, but a songs which are actually called "Romeo and Juliet" are hardly indirect. Perhaps it should be renamed 'Popular culture' or something similar? Tartan 15:19, 16 February 2006 (UTC)

Or simply "References" or something like that? --213.237.94.61 02:48, 17 April 2006 (UTC)
I agree with Tartan; we should make sure all the "allusions" are really allusions. Also, "allusions" sections seem to focus almost completely on those in popular culture, forsaking surely more common literary ones. However, I wonder about the need for an "Allusions" section in the first place. I mean, isn't Romeo and Juliet surely one of the most alluded-to works of literature in the world? How could we even compile a somewhat-comprehensive list of all allusions to it?TysK 21:07, 22 April 2006 (UTC)
I changed the title to 'References in popular culture' which is more accurate. The Singing Badger 21:35, 22 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] what are the character flaws of romeo and juliet

  • They wanted somebody else to do their homework for them. AndyJones 11:09, 27 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Romeo and Juliet: 1968 version w/ Olivia Hussey

Do they REALLY appear naked? Cause, we saw it in our school, and I think our teachers should know if that is true.--71.225.142.197 01:24, 21 March 2006 (UTC) Sorry: --AimeeLee 01:32, 21 March 2006 (UTC)

Yes, they did. Because Olivia Hussey was 15, they had to get special permission for her to appear naked (event though her nudity only lasts for a split second). Leonard Whiting was a bit older, so there wasn't an issue with him. - Green Tentacle 22:10, 28 March 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, Leonard was 18 when he made the movie if I'm remembering correctly. My class didn't get that far in the movie apparently...Princess Roxanne Aquaviva 04:08, 30 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Significance, interpretation

I really miss a section on the significance of the story of Romeo and Juliet. Why is this play so famous? Which message does it express that is so important that makes it probably the most well-known play in Western tradition? Something about how culture and tradition (symbolized by the families of the lovers) alienates the individual subjects (symbolized by the lovers themselves)? I know these questions often have many different answers, depending on who you ask, but there must some degree of consensus on some of it. --213.237.94.61 02:57, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Romeo and Joliet?

I believe that I have sometimes seen Juliet's name spelled "Joliet". Does anyone have any information about this difference in name? Conrad Devonshire 02:31, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] What time period?

What time perioud did this take place in? Akako23:33, 6 May 2006 (UTC)

  • Difficult question. The honest answer is that it's a work of fiction, and that it takes place in any era the director wants to set it in. The play was first published in 1597, so Shakespeare clearly had in mind an era around that time or earlier. The first known written story of the two lovers was written by Masuccio Salernitano in Italian in 1476. (It appears to be a myth that it's based on true events in Verona.) Does that help? AndyJones 11:02, 7 May 2006 (UTC)

[edit] A rose by any other.....?

In the article, it says that "What's in a name? That which we call a rose, by any other word would smell as sweet" is often misquoted as "...by any other name would...". However, Wikiquote and Wikisource both say that it is the latter. I have only ever heard of that one. Maybe it depends on the edition? Could somebody with access to several editions of the play please check this?

The NPS edition says "word". Its footnote says "the Q1 reading name was included in many of the older editions of Shakespeare, and so became usual in the proverbial saying." All modern versions of the play are based on Q2, for the reason that Q1 is a "bad quarto", while Q3, F and later editions are derived from Q2. AndyJones 20:35, 11 May 2006 (UTC)
The Arden edition (also based on the Second Quatro) has a long footnote on this and passionately (and convincingly, with a cross-reference to Twelfth Night) insists that it must be 'word'. Nevertheless, it is misleading for the article to state that the line is misquoted when it is, in fact, just quoted from a different edition. Therefore, I've removed that sentence from the article. - Green Tentacle 00:22, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Bawdy?

Paragraph about the nurse. I'd regard her anecdote as tedious rather than bawdy. Coriolise 17:21, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

  • Well, I can't stop you finding it tedious, if you do. It's definitely repetitive and I can't deny (having tried, at a workshop, dressed in drag) that it's difficult to act. It's definitely bawdy, though. "Dug" means nipple, "stone" in this context means testicle, and "fall backwards" means something like "into a position for sex". AndyJones 19:23, 24 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] In universe

This article reads like a plot summary of Romeo and Juliet. As per Manual of Style, the article should concentrate on explaining and dicussing, rather simply repeating, the plot. See Twelfth Night, or What You Will for an example of better writing. smurrayinchester(User), (Talk) 15:15, 20 September 2006 (UTC)

Disagree. The plot section does spend rather a lot of time on the plot, but the other sections include the other desirable material. Improving the other sections (...especially the original research...) would be a good thing of course. rewinn 22:22, 26 September 2006 (UTC)
Agree with Rewinn. Still shocked by these references to Twelfth Night as "better writing". (BTW, for an explanantion "in-universe" - one that I don't wholeheartedly endorse - see the link to "Manual of Style" in Smurrayinchester's post, above.) AndyJones 08:02, 28 September 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Trivia

In the trivia section, it says that Romeo is a Capulet ("Juliet is asking the heavens why Romeo must be Romeo; that is, a Capulet and therefore her enemy.) That is not true, right? | Tgwizard 21:05, 26 September 2006 (UTC)

Good point. I fixed it. Cheers! rewinn 22:26, 26 September 2006 (UTC)


[edit] Vandalism!

Why, pray tell, must an article on the best play ever be so cruelly vandalized? --74.129.222.94 14:25, 3 October 2006 (UTC)

Because It's time for the high school freshmen to be studying it in school. But you have to admit there have been some pretty funny acts of vandalism. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 70.110.96.83 (talk • contribs).

  • Yeah, absolutely hilarious. What were your favourites? Here are my top three:
    • Jools is a noob
    • Cock, cock, cock, cock, COCK!
    • Romeo and Juliet was written in 1973.
  • Isn't vandalism great? AndyJones 09:08, 14 December 2006 (UTC)

Personally, my favorites were the substitution of all of Act I with the word "POOP" and one desperate guy who wrote "CALL WILL KNIGHT AT 1847-331-1750" over and over again. PollyNim 16:46, 27 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Original Story of Romeo and Juliet untouched on wikipedia?

It's my understanding that shakespeare's play comes from a very old italian folk story about a young man named Romeo. Shakespeare's story is largely different form the original tale as I understand it, but there is no reference to this original story anywhere on wikipedia. Unfortunately, I am not the man to make the article, knowing as very little about the matter as I do. Is there someone who could make an article about the original story, and perhaps link to additional literature versions of this story? For instance, isn't the Romeo found in Dante's Inferno also based on the same folk lore character? That Romeo seems to be part of a story with no Juliet in it. Is this because they're two different figures, or is this because one of Shakespeare's liberties with the story was the character of Juliet? It seems unfortunate, to me, that any search for Romeo on the site brings us nothing but Alfa Romeos, Li'l Romeo and this play.

[edit] Friar Laurence's potion

Are there any non-fictional substances which might be able to produce a death-like coma? The wikipedia article on fugu mentions reports of poisoned victims, assumed to be dead, waking up at their funerals. 62.25.106.209 18:27, 16 October 2006 (UTC)

Yes there is a fish the name escapes me he's a delicacy in Japan however he contains a poison used by shaman in fugi or fugu this simulates death and people are declared dead by doctors and can wake up in the hospital or at there funerals or wherever and they can be presevied as zombies. --Riraito 14:25, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Romeo and Juliet essay

I am in the 9th grade, and doing a paper on how romeo and juliet foreshadow their own deaths. could you help me? Rinnie204 21:19, 5 December 2006 (UTC)rin

No. Brickie 15:35, 15 December 2006 (UTC)
OK, in the interests of being nice and helpful and whatnot - go to Google and search on "Romeo & Juliet Foreshadowing" and the top link should be what you're after. As a general rule, these talk pages are used for discussing the article they are attached to - so, talking about formatting and style and good English and arguing about obscure points of detail. There will be some sort of Shakespeare Discussion Forum about - I'm not aware of one but I'm sure they exist - where you can ask questions if your Googling doesn't come up with the goods. Brickie 15:40, 15 December 2006 (UTC)

Ya i can.....wad do ya need?Chokeabo 06:16, 12 February 2007 (UTC) Chokeabo

Haha - I think the kid has turned it in by now - notice the time stamp - it's been over two months.Daniel()Folsom |\T/|\C/|\U/ 22:21, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Should Romeo have his own page?

The Romeo page links back to this page. Because all of the other characters have their own pages, I think that Romeo should have his own separate page. --Must WIN 02:36, 17 December 2006 (UTC)

I agree he should--Riraito 14:26, 8 January 2007 (UTC)

I also agree. Wish I had time to do something about it. Any volunteers to make Romeo a page? Crazykid777 14:55, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

Just wondering, does Juliet have a page? Princess Roxanne Aquaviva 04:11, 30 January 2007 (UTC) ^^^^^ yes Juliet has her own page Chokeabo 05:16, 14 February 2007 (UTC) chokeabo

[edit] Second printing

Something tells me it wasn't done in 666. Brunbb 07:35, 11 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Theme: Haste leads to doom

When we read Romeo and Juliet in class, one of the themes that we discussed was the idea that haste led to doom. For example Romeo and Juliet's haste to get married led to their demise. TehNomad 01:28, 26 January 2007 (UTC)

A) If you recall there was a reason it was so accelerated - Juliet would've married the other guy if they didn't marry quick - only a slight problem though.Daniel()Folsom |\T/|\C/|\U/ 04:22, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Nurse should have her own page

She is an important character in the play and provides comic relief Crazykid777 15:58, 6 February 2007 (UTC)

So why not write one? Gardener of Geda | Message Me.... 19:30, 6 February 2007 (UTC)
Good point.....both of you......ya she needs a page of her own but if you feel strongly enough you should write one yourself.
Chokeabo 06:17, 12 February 2007 (UTC) Chokeabo
Thank you for joining in. Perhaps you could write it yourself? Yes. You could make the opening sentence "DUDE GAARA IS HOTT!!!!!!!", or something.
Gardener of Geda | Message Me.... 17:22, 12 February 2007 (UTC)

how did you know that was me? lolChokeabo 05:16, 14 February 2007 (UTC)chokeabo

Is there no page on Romeo? I mean as of now if you search romeo it redirects you to Romeo and Juliet ...Daniel()Folsom |\T/|\C/|\U/ 04:21, 21 February 2007 (UTC) - NM, this has been discussed...Daniel()Folsom |\T/|\C/|\U/ 04:23, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Who Is the main character? Romeo or Juliet?

well its hard to tell.....it is called Romeo and Juliet but it also says at the end: "for there never was a story of more woe then of JULIET and her Romeo" so its hard to tell. What do you think? Chokeabo 06:27, 12 February 2007 (UTC)Chokeabo

Though of course it wouldn't have rhymed the other way round. FWIW, I don't think there is a single Main Character - it's Romeo AND Juliet. Brickie 15:58, 14 February 2007 (UTC)
That qualifies as the worst question ever for so many reasons.... but yes, there can be (and in this case there are) stories with multiple characters. - and for future reference the order of names isn't usually a factor. Daniel()Folsom |\T/|\C/|\U/ 04:20, 21 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Mercutio's Death??

I happened to be reading the article on Romeo and Juliet. It says "By doing so, however, Romeo inadvertently pulls Mercutio into Tybalt's rapier, fatally wounding him." As far as I can tell this is not part of the script of the play, though some play directors may include this. Just thought I'd point that out. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 151.197.125.241 (talk) 00:37, 4 March 2007 (UTC).

[edit] Romeo's poison

"he buys strong poison, sometimes held to be aconite, from an Apothecary"

This links to a disambiguation page, anybody know which one of these links is correct? I would guess Aconitum.

My first ever attempt at adding to Wikipedia, so I hope I really can't kill anything :?

Hugothehermit 03:56, 8 March 2007 (UTC)

  • It's an unsourced comment, and the name of the poison is NOT referenced in the play. Even if there is a good and thoughtful source, that source could only have been speculating what poison Shakespeare had in mind. It's better to remove it, which I've done. AndyJones 14:17, 9 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Accuracy about Virgin Mary in Commentary: 23 March 2007

In the first paragraph of the Commentary section on this play, the statement is made that the opening sonnet "figures Romeo as a blushing pilgrim (palmer) praying before an image of the Virgin Mary, as many people in early-sixteenth-century England did at shrines such as the shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham." How is this statement really pertinent to understanding the play?

"Romeo and Juliet" is set in Italy and not England. The statement also seems to confuse the reader into somehow thinking that Shakespeare came from a Catholic background or that he was somehow espousing Catholicism. In truth, the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham was destroyed by Henry VIII in 1538, long before Shakespeare's birth. And even the time period for the play's setting cannot be definitively pinned down to the sixteenth century, regardless of geographical location.

69.76.187.202 06:36, 23 March 2007 (UTC)

I agree. However, Shakespeare did come from a "Catholic" background of sorts. Though the religion had been changed to the Church of England, it can be assumed that he was quite knowledgeable about Catholicism and its practices. If anything, though, Shakespeare would not be espousing Catholicism, but instead would be providing commentary on the people of the Catholic church. Consider Friar Lawrence's actions in achieving 'peace.' Using potions and playing God by delivering "death" to Juliet (through potions) seems a bit unconventional and perhaps a bit immoral for a priest. He understandably uses Catholicism in the play because it DOES take place in Italy - mostly Catholic at that time. That comment is misleading.Rscavuzzo 16:08, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Ages

Juliet was really 13 and two weeks away from her birthday, as for Romeo who was only 17 —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.69.140.22 (talk • contribs)..

  • You're right about Juliet. There's no textual evidence as to the ago of Romeo. For what it's worth, Stanley Wells says that he should be played as around the same age as Juliet. In fact, it is rare for Juliet to be played by an actress as young as 13. AndyJones 14:55, 1 April 2007 (UTC)
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