Romeo and Juliet

I am a retired English, reading teacher. I used the Julius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet editions for years in my classes. This was because it was Shakespeare and Modern English side by side. Because my kids usually read 2-4 years below level, the class would read the modern English version ,but we referred to to the famous passages in the original because they had to know them also. They had to memorize those in the original. Students who were advanced or could read on level could choose to read the original, but they had the modern version there if they needed it. This way all could experience the story ,but no one had to "sleep" as the class read the old English. The series also has chapter questions at the back of the books. This is a wonderful series. 1985 Perfection-the best yet. 9-10 lopw readers; 6-9 advancecd

Film, comic TV series adaptations multiply the story of Romeo and Juliet. I have enjoyed many of its mirrors as the version with Leonardo DiCaprio in Miami, the kung fu version with Jet Li, the black and white classic with Cantinflas ("London! I mean... Paris!"xD), or Juleo and Rumiet by Chespirito, among many others. But just now I dared to read the original and it was jaw-dropping...Shakespeare is invisible. He creates a world where he is not seen and all is doomed to fit or crash by its own accord. The first scenes indirectly set the following drama. In a world where Romeo and Juliet are not meant to be, they violently and inevitably fall in love with each other. There is Rosaline, whom Romeo loved with juvenile passion to her idealized shape. She is there and she is not there to make a contrast with the feelings toward Juliet. Juliet for her part has to clad her tears of love with the disguise of mourning for her cousin Tybalt; she utters words of revenge against Romeo because the world is against her love. Similar to the end of Don Quixote, when he awakes from madness to the tiredness of reality, Romeo also, at his end, has no romance but solitary longing; one that awakes him into a conscious lucidity of his "world-weary flesh" of man. The moment in which he is alone with himself after losing everything at hands of death... is not Hamlet that descends into madness, is Romeo that now seems to understand everything. Rather than romance Romeo and Juliet is about the struggle of small humanity against destiny, to do anything despite to have the whole universe plotting against you. As so this story is a triumph.Borges said that secretly the national book of Englishmen is the bible, not Shakespeare's works; and that Shakespeare's works was secretly the national book of Germany, not Goethe's works. I love so much the diverse authors of the United Kingdom, especially those at the end of 19th century and beginning of 20th century. But I have to concord that Shakespeare seems different. Clearly universal, not for the location of his plays, but because the human nature is common to each man and woman; a quality that Romanticism, in its insistence for exotic objects to clad the fellow citizens instead to get to to the heart of the exotic cultures, failed to accomplish (although in fairness perhaps that wasn't its goal). Maybe indeed Shakespeare is more akin to the Germanic and Nordic old sagas, those that have a wise understanding of men and women, with characters that deeply say far more in their actions or in subtle words.About the AmazonClassics Edition it has a minimal of X-Ray to indicate the allegiance of each character to the Capulet or Montague families. Beyond that there are not footnotes nor prologues; and I am happy for that because Shakespeare is better discovered without intermediaries.

Are ya a Shakespeare fan? Looking for an original by Shakespeare himself? Well, I did & so can you! Don’t worry, every penny is well spent for this piece of art in a rare, enhanced novel; I guarantee you. ;)

I bought this book to help me with my school work that is done online and I also read the book online as well

I've been trying to complete my twilight collection since 2009 so when I saw this available on amazon I was stoked! Of course Romeo & Juliet is a classic but if im being honest I only bought it to look pretty on my shelf with the rest of my twilight collection.

Till now, I had always found Shakespeare's language so daunting that after a while I gave up on reading him. Thanks to the Barnes&Noble editions, this has changed for me. First of all, they have an outstanding introductory essay where I read for the first time that Shakespeare's language is difficult for everybody and why. The realization that the problem was not just me gave me the courage to persevere. But for me the main advantage of these editions is that I get just the right amount of help with Shakespeare's language, without being overburdened with extra information that might be interesting but slows me down and makes me lose interest (e.g. the Arden Shakespeare editions). Especially helpful is that the explanations are split into two. Just beside the text are the translations of archaic words or "false friends", words we know but that were used with a different meaning in Shakespeare's time, such as "jealous". In other editions you are forced to search somewhere far away for these explanations and the editors wrongly assume that explaining such words once is enough (a seemingly minor issue which can become extremely frustrating). On the opposite page of Barnes&Noble Shakespeare more complicated expressions are explained, such as allusions to things we are no longer familiar with or cleverly crafted poetic phrases that probably would have caused Shakespeare's contemporaries difficulties too. Somehow, I found it much easier and faster to look for these explanations on the side rather than at the bottom. I was also agreeably surprised by the cheapness of these Barnes&Noble editions, I don't know how to manage to make money on them. My only disappointment is that they have not brought out the whole Shakespeare yet, I sincerely hope they will.

This was exactly what I ordered. I have to say the plot was a little far fetched and a bit too ‘West Side Story’ for my liking. Whoever this Will Shakespeare guy is, I don’t expect he’ll do very well. This story definitely needed more aliens and at least one robot to make it a page turner.

This is a required book for GCSE learning and it is very good for not taking in the margins aswell as highlighting key quotes for your exams to learn and revise to memorise them.Very good and wouldn't do well in english without this this is a must have book!

I've recently taken an interest in William Shakespeare's plays and was particularly interested to read "Romeo and Juliet". I thoroughly enjoyed this book and felt I got good value for my money as this particular Kindle edition was in top condition.I recently watched the film "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet" starring Leonard DiCaprio and Clare Danes which is a modern adaptation of the story. I enjoyed that and that also gave me the notion to read it and I'm glad I did. It was fantastic and in my opinion it's the greatest love story that's ever been written. I look forward to reading more Shakespeare plays in the future.

This is another book that I brought for my daughter to read as, she need for school. We love William Sheakspear I probably didn't spell it right, but that's okey he a very good playwriting, it very touching about Romoe and Juliet of young people loving each otherwith all perils going in there life , with two family do not get on. Excellent Thanks

This was truly tragic. Their love was so short-lived and hate was the riding force for almost everyone around them. A fight was almost always happening be it verbal or physical. Their love was the only thing that provided some semblance of warmth but was so easily snuffed out. Ancient grudges could not allow anyone to move forward but their death and the circumstances around it made for U think a satisfying end.