Sunday 8 July 2007

The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet - 1


I thought Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy. I've just finished reading the play and now I think it is a comedy! :))

I'll bring some examples to support my argument. There is the first one:

'Tis almost morning; I would have thee gone:
And yet no further than a wanton's bird;
Who lets it hop a little from her hand,
Like a poor prisoner in his twisted gyves,
And with a silk thread plucks it back again

which translates :))

It's almost morning. I want you to go, but I'd only let you go as far as a spoiled child lets his pet bird go. He lets the bird hop a little from his hand and then yanks him back by a string.

Juliet compares Romeo to a pet bird. That's why he stands up like a man and says:

"I would I were thy bird!"



4 comments:

Adam said...

i always smile when i read sonnet 130.

(not that i read much Shakespeare or anything. i say this to not sound pretentious).

"I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound."

ha ha. i am laughing inside.

Di said...

Hahaha, I love sonnet 130! Shakespeare did write the best parody of his own love sonnets!

I think that's revenge as you know that the dark lady betrays him...

Lots of things to say about this sonnet so let's write about it soon!

Adam said...

hmm. my commentary / interpretation of this sonnet;

this is pretty much the anti-love poem. the poem is a parody of classic love poems that portray a lover as goddess like, in every way.

hmm... but there must be something about this girl that the poet finds appealing, even though she doesn't meet the critera of what "godesslike" is supposed to be.

(the dark lady is kind of like a victorian era bridget jones).

this is my north american/ not very british/"its a hot day and my mind feels lazy" interpretation.

I could be completely off. what say you?

Di said...

I'll post the sonnet and we shall have a laugh soon!