I don't find Romeo and Juliet creepy or odd at all. Your email address will not be published. Also, Christ called a 12 year old female a pais (little girl) and NOT a parthenos (virgin aka adult female who has not had sexual relations with a man) such as Virgin Mary the Blessed, Roman vestal virgins (who took 30 year vows to be priestesses of the goddess Vesta in ancient Rome) and Roman Catholic nuns (who took lifelong vows). Now enjoy the classic without involving age even if romeo was 49 y/o pervert and Juliet a 16 y/o the true moral of the story is love is timeless and never ending. And thats another thing. Your interpretive opinion is as valid as anyone else's who happens to be attempting to formulate ideas about the play from information we don't have. The age of consent, which applied to boys as well as girls, was increased to 13 years in 1863. Start your 48-hour free trial to get access to more than 30,000 additional guides and more than 350,000 Homework Help questions answered by our experts. Shakespeare focuses very much on love, but also on heartbreak and how love, never really seems to work out quite how you dream. That is the cultural, classic and timeless beauty of his writings. Love is limitless. Modern (i.e. (it was just tradition). That would be just as absurd as now days, it wasnt a common thing done amongst ordinary working class people but it was done amongst rich and wealthy families sometimes. In the first scene of the play, Nurse tells us Juliet's age is almost fourteen. But to suggest paedophilia in this is absurd, obviously all opinions matter, but I think people must consider the time this was written and the great changes that have happened since, both in law and society. With the Obviously a daughter or ward. Actually im doing Romeo and Juliet at school right now and in the book it says she is 13 and he is 26, in those days it was expected for the man to be twice the age as the girl. The language used in Romeo and Juliet full text is slightly different to. Maybe thats how it was meant to be? Of course, this is all a matter of opinion, but based off what I've stated above- that information being just about the extent of my knowledge on the subject of arranged marriages and marriage of girls at young ages- I rather pictured Romeo to be somewhere between 20 to perhaps 24 years of age. From Wikipedia (on marriageable age): 'For example, Mary Hathaway (Virginia, 1689) was only 9 when she was married to William Williams. Clearly, Romeo's age (and hence, moralizing about pedophilia issues) is not important to ShakespeareAT ALL; obviously then, not important to his audience. What is the difference between casting a play now to casting a play from a small acting company in Shakespeares day? It is stupid to try to impose modern assumptions on societies of 4 centuries ago. I have found my soulmate but due to laws must wait a few years. Why do Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio go to the Capulets' party? First performed around 1596, Romeo and Juliet has been adapted as a ballet, an opera, the musical West Side Story, and a dozen films. God(bible) or man? Capulet begins the play by denying Paris's request to marry Juliet, on the grounds that she is too young. Beneath it, on the walls, there are love letters. In Shakespeare's play, Romeo and Juliet, Count Paris is a young nobleman.We encounter him as he visits Verona to negotiate with wealthy businessman and community leader, Capulet, on an important matter - his proposed marriage to Capulet's thirteen - almost fourteen - year-old daughter, Juliet. That was a normal type of transaction in medieval and Renaissance times. That was how I was always told, and it just seems the most likely to me. Some critics and literary analysts argue that he is between the ages of thirteen and twenty-one, while the majority agree that he is around three years older than Juliet, which would make him sixteen. Burbage also played almost every leading character Shakespeare wrote. Re the duel, have you considered that Tybalt as well is the same age as Romeo? Sure, we all know that Juliet is 13, the Nurse comes right out and tells us. To me Romeo is about 16, this way its not a weird thing that they marry. Who is Rosaline? '. More than once, they both told me it was "Love at first sight". Finally, to all the stupid statements about pedophilia, I'd like to highlight that you cannot view a XVI-century play with today's eyes pedophilia is a very modern concept, and at that time a 13-year old was of marriageable age. The nurses states she hath not seen the change of fourteen years, which means Juliet is 13. And the work you say you put into it is truly admirable. So, really, we can't even use his actions as a way of estimating his age. Well, The nurse and lady Capulet clearly state that Juliet it thirteen years of age in Act 1 Scene 3. It probably is how Shakespeare intended it. Although his age could be anywhere between thirteen and twenty-one, he is. An age-old vendetta between two powerful families erupts into bloodshed. Director Baz Luhrmann Writers we have always been refeerin our love to R&J.. I'm 14, so I'm starting to worry that I'll never be able to play Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare. Cheers & best. Since Shakespeare lowered Juliets age by 3 years, it is safe to assume that his Romeo is also 3 years younger especially since he even writes that Romeo never had a beard yet; so, that means he is probably 17. I was born 2 months after my mother turned 17. I think a relationship (in those days) with someone about 14 and someone around 17 would be considerably okay. She's perfect to get in love. So yes, if you're shocked to find that Juliet was only 13 when she met and fell in love at first with Romeo, you should be. Paris seems to be more concerned with marrying and being happy with Juliet while Romeo (in the balcony scene) is more interested in sex above anything else. Shakespeare knew it. In my opinion the tragedy does centre on Juliet. I've been doing a lot of research for an essay I have to write on the topic and one source (Cambridge Introduction to Shakespeare by Emma Smith) said that although most people presume that marriage at that age was a normal thing to do it wasn't. We are all just bein manipulated by everyone arround us. Cappelletti were in the past members of the light cavalry of the Republic of Venice. The prime age of marriage for men often began somewhere between sixteen to twenty years of age and never quite ended after that- prime age for a man after that was simply factored into the state of being alive and able to sire children. Everything else is just somebodys guess, no matter how well researched. Bear in mind that Shakespeare wrote this at a time when 13 was the normal age to be looking for a suitor, who would be much older than Romeo was (i.e. In other accounts the pair have time to fall in love however for our R & J its instant which leaves us begging the questionis it love or something else? Many people write their names and the names of loved ones on the walls of the entrance, known as Juliet's wall. And Burbage is known to have been in his late 20's/30's when he was the star player for The Chamberlains Men & The King's Men. It is a modernized adaptation of William Shakespeare 's tragedy of the same name, albeit still utilizing Shakespearean English. What does Mercutio mean when he says, "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find me a grave man"? scene from Romeo and Juliet. and also existed in Colonial America). (I believe that's Act I, Scene III.) If they were older the story would be missing that crucial element and perhaps have an entirely different ending. First of all, congrats on doing the role! I'm just curious, but does any of you think that kind of love can happen these days? Juliet is thirteen years old and Romeo likely between thirteen and twenty-one years old. Then you have a bad book, Rachel, if it makes statements like that :). Take into consideration that ppl In the Bible days, at least around Marys time, didnt live as long as ppl today. Pass the flower of her age. Minimum age for marriage was 12 years old for females and 14 years old for males and betrothal could not take place before 7 years old for both males and females (comes from ancient Rome and existed in England in the 13th century C.E. [2] The common English people of that age were very rarely in their teens when they married and even among the nobility and gentry of the age, brides 13 years of age were rare, at about one in 1,000 brides; in that era, the vast majority of English brides were at least 19 years of age when they first married, most commonly at about 23 years, and most English noblewomen were at least 16 when they married. That is also why we want their love to be real and to make life happy for them, and why their death is so heart-wrenchingly romantic. Love, in Romeo and Juliet, is a grand passion, and as such, it is . But I wouldn't have cast any in the professional production I directed. Comments Sep 23, 2022 - This Pin was discovered by Sapphos Island. The real second name was in Italian Cappelletti, a noble family, and not Capuleti. Just been reading through some of the comments on Juliets age and Romeo and Juliets marriage. I don't necessarily assert that Romeo was many years Juliet's senior, just that it's possible, even probable, and would not have caused discontent among the audience of the time period. I think talking about pedophilia would be a little off! Romeo can be older and still be rash and impetuous. Romeo doesn't automatically think that way about Juliet. so she's obviously 13. Log in here. South Carolina: The minimum age for a female is 15 (13 if she is pregnant , has a physician's statement verifying same, and the consent of her parents) and it is 16 for a male. According to Kayvon Khoshkam, director of Romeo and Juliet, the group has made some changes to the famous conclusion of the story. The ages of parents range from a few years to atleast 10! Juliet was 15 (did you READ what Dr J said at all??) He cant be too old because (and i quote), One Romeus, who was of race a Montague,Upon whose tender chin, as yet, no manlike beard there grew,Whose beauty and whose shape so far the rest did stain, obviously he had not reached puberty yet (no beard yet), Not having a beard doesnt mean you havent reached puberty, it means you havent reached the end stages. Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy written by famed English playwright and poet William Shakespeare, who is commonly regarded as one of the most prominent and influential figures in literature. My memory of reading Romeo and Juliet at 14 was of being done with it as quickly as possible :). But because of her small frame, in her words, Leonardo looked like he was molesting me. The director said the same thing I said above, only backwards Leonardo was 21, but could look 18 and she made him look 21. In other words he looked too old, not that she looked too young. Am I correct? So, her age is not an issue. Case closed. Assuming that Rosaline is about 17-18 years old (the upper extreme of marriageable age), Romeo must presumably be at least the same. Regarding the age difference between Romeo and Juliet. . P.S I'm 14 and doing Romeo and Juliet in school, also my first language is Welsh . Juliet was 15 (did you READ what Dr J said at all??) So, a marriage to a 9 year old in the 17th century C.E. Juliet is portrayed as a shy, gentle, innocent thirteen-year-old girl who always obeys her father. So, what I'm getting from this is Romeo is from the ages 16-21? Would that imply that Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris are also all about 13? He thinks she's beautiful. There is no love just lust in the play because not to mention that they were not even old enough to feel what true . Even Capulet tries to encourage Count Paris, a wealthy suitor, to wait a little longer before even thinking of marrying his daughter, feeling that she is still too young; "She hath not seen the change of fourteen years, Let two more summers wither in their pride, Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride". She was born on "Lammas Eve at night" (1 August), so Juliet's birthday is 31 July (1.3.19).
Signs Baby Is Ready To Drop To One Nap,
Road Closings In North Alabama,
Deceased Priests Diocese Of Pittsburgh,
Uw--madison High School Credit Requirements,
Logistics Marketing & Sales Conference,
Articles H