A stick-figure Shakespeare comic by Mya Lixian Gosling
OK, we've established that Romeo and Juliet are impulsive, infatuated, hormonally-driven teenagers. Let's see what happens when we introduce an adult in a position of responsiblity into the equation!
If Romeo and Juliet are a fire, the adults in the story are the gasoline that inevitably gets thrown on it.
OK, let's wrap up this balcony scene once and for all!
FINALLY.
Time for some more sweet, sweet balcony action!
The Reduced Shakespeare Company (an unimpeachable source of Shakespearean textual analysis) says the three words are are "send word tomorrow", but my copy of the text has a pesky extra "me" in there....
This coming Wednesday I will be giving a talk at the Kempf House Museum in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If you're a fellow Ann Arborite, stop by!
WHEN: Wednesday, March 22, 12:00pm
WHERE: Kempf House Museum (312 S. Division St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48104)
WHAT: Me! Talking about how I got started drawing Shakespeare comics, things I've learned as I've developed Good Tickle Brain into a self-sustaining business, super secret fun facts about Shakespeare's plays that you might not know, and some live drawing. It'll be SUPER FUN!
OK, now it's balcony time. Finally.
Technically, there is no balcony mentioned in the play, just a window. However, from a theatrical standpoint I think we can all agree that balconies are WAY more dramatic than windows.
Tomorrow is the Ides of March! BEWARE!
...or, you know, don't.
When we last saw our hero ("our hero" meaning Romeo) he had just discovered that the young woman he fell madly in love with at the Capulet's party was, in fact, Juliet Capulet, daughter to his father's arch-nemesis, Lord Capulet. So naturally he decides to engage in some casual late-night breaking and entering.
Also, the real tragedy of Mercutio's short life is that he died centuries before the advent of the "that's what she said" joke. He would really have enjoyed that.
OK, remember last week when I said we'd be doing the balcony scene today? Well, I totally forgot about this second, much less famous prologue...
I don't think I've actually ever heard this prologue in performance. Have you?
TITLE CHARACTERS HAVE MET. REPEAT. TITLE CHARACTERS HAVE MET. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. PREPARE FOR INEVITABLE SERIES OF DESTRUCTIVE EVENTS.
A lot is always made of the fact that Romeo and Juliet's first conversation takes the form of a shared English sonnet (i.e. with the rhyming scheme ABAB CDCD EFEF GG). Arguably, this shows that they're soulmates and have an instant connection of hearts and minds... or possibly that they're just really good at ad-libbing in sonnet form. Either way, it's kinda cool.
Let's see, what's up next week...? OH. BALCONY.
