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Question: Is "Romeo and Juliet" the only play that students don't understand!? Or just freshmen ask!?
I see a FEW questions about Othello -- and a random one about Hamlet!. But Romeo and Juliet is really such an easy play to understand -- and all this help available on the internet (which I don't recommend) and there's numerous questions EVERY day!. Am I missing a secret code, somewhere!?Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
Not all schools cover Othello or Hamlet, but Romeo and Juliet is usually required in all high schools!. Multiply that by how many students have access to yahoo and divide that by the amount that are lazy and didn't read it!. You should arrive at a fairly high number of questions daily!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

= I read Romeo and Juliet when I was 13 for school, and I remember memorizing Romeo's lines!. What I don't remember, when I was 13 was truly appreciating how important the part of Mercutio is to the play!. If you don't see his counterbalance to Romeo, his world weariness, his anger, and his brilliant wit, the play is almost half a play!.
= I have never really seen anyone play the part in a movie as good as it can be played!. One of my favorite readings is a recording done by Derek Jacobi on the BBC version!. Jacobi is way to old to do the part on stage or in a movie, but listening to his exceptional elocution made the part very vivid!. It's important to hear his very funny and slightly vulgar speech he gives right before the balcony scene!. It really sets up the audience for the fact that the overwhelming naivete of the two young lovers won't survive in the cynical world!.
= I think the kids should ask questions about the play!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

As others have said, Romeo and Juliet is by far the most common reading assignment as an introduction to Shakespeare!. There are several reasons for this!. One is that the characters are of high school age and easier for young readers to identify with!. also it is a play that is easier to follow than Hamlet or Othello!. Most students are never challenged with the more difficult plays!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i'm hoping that it's simply the laziness factor!. and i try not to help people who appear to just need answers to their study sheets!. in my family, i was the nerd my younger brother the athlete!. and he NEVER got anything!. it was always a combo of his own laziness, scared to ask questions in class, and teachers who simply don't care enough!. i had to break R&J down for him when he went through it all!. so there are students out there who don't "get it"!. but i think they are a smaller percentage than you realize!. yes there are a lot of folks asking questions on here, but think about how many students at one time are studing the material and it might make more sense!.!.!.it appears to me the majority of them are not online asking people their study guide questions!. also, depending on the context, i don't mind helping out with that sort of thing!. translating shakepeare is one of the main reasons why i like him to this day!. once i broke my own personal barriers about deciphering his language, i couldn't get enough!. and of course it only gets easier!. and since i'm older now, it's a challenging double translation: translating the bard himself and then breaking it down enough to communicate with a teen!. and i don't necessarily think it's that easy of a play to understand!.!.!.any play where you have to have other books in order to decipher the exact language is not really what i would define as easy!. as 30 year old actor who has several shakespeare plays under her belt, it's downright hard to figure out the world shakespeare creates with just his words!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I had to read Romeo and Juliet as a freshman(Mind you I had already read it prior to even being in high school!.) and I did not find it complicated to understand!. Hamlet was a little confusing in some points but nothing that wasn't easily cleared up!. I can't see why Romeo and Juliet would not be understood!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

well i just had to read it because im a freshman in hs!. i didn't really find it confusing i just need help on like what they had to wear and what type of music was played for each class!. and a lot of people did fall asleep while we had to read it!. so that may also be why!. i haven't read hamlet or anything else yet since im only about to be a sophmore!.!.!.!.so can't really say yet!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I am 13 and I LOVE Romeo and Juliet!. It's such a beautiful play!. Shakespear has such a wonderful way with words!. It makes me so happy!.
It IS an easy play to understand, so I agree with you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I`ve read Romeo and Juliet and its fairly easy to understand!.

The only kids on here asking for help are those who are too lazy to look for the answers themselves ; )Www@QuestionHome@Com

It is the most widely studied of his works and thus the most likely to be seen posted here!.

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