A Student's Perspective on Romeo and Juliet

By: Leah Aspden

Last Tuesday, the Grade 10 English classes went to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre to see a live performance of Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, to go along with the study of this play we’re doing in class.

In class, we had been preparing by reading the play script and watching two film versions of the play. By the time we went to see the live play, our classes were about halfway through the play script. There were some moments in the play that were unclear as to what was happening, as we hadn’t read the script and didn’t know the exact context, but in general the play was relatively easy to understand.

As for comparing watching the movies in class to watching the live play, the movies allowed us to see greater detail in each scene, while the play was a better summary of the events. The play included a great portrayal of Romeo’s youth, really emphasizing that his age is 15 or 16 in the original script, by showing his angst and dramatic reactions similar to those of a teenager. The movies were less focused on this youth, so watching the play put the ages of the main characters into perspective.

Overall, the play was a positive learning experience and we were able to see a different take on showcasing the story of Romeo and Juliet to further our understanding of the play.