Understanding Shakespeare

What You Need:

• Copy of Romeo and Juliet (an annotated copy is ideal)
• Copies of film versions of the play and/or movies based on it
• Pen and paper

What You Do:

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Romeo, Romeo, why are you Romeo?*

Deny thy father and refuse thy name

Say no to your dad and change your name

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

And I'll no longer be a Capulet

If not, I will change my name, as long as you say you love me.

*In Shakespeare's time, 'wherefore' literally would have meant 'why'. Most printed versions of Shakespeare come with notes that explain the outdated language.

Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?

Romeo, Romeo, why do you, of all people, have to be a Montague?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name

Blow off your dad and take a new name

Or, of thou wilt not, be but sworn my love

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

If you don't do it, I will because I am just that crazy about you.

1. Start by familiarizing your teen with the story. Rent one of the film versions, such as 1968's Romeo and Juliet, and a film with a plot that's adapted from it, such as West Side Story. Have her make notes of the way each movie brings (or doesn't bring) the story up to date, and the ways each film appeals to its audience. For instance, West Side Story is set in modern-day New York, and uses racial tensions between rival street gangs as the source of the “ancient grudge”.
2. Instead of rewriting the entire play, have her begin by breaking down Juliet's balcony speech. She can start by translating it directly into modern English. For instance:
3. Then, take the literal translation and discuss with your teen what Juliet might be saying without words. For example, Juliet isn't just asking why Romeo is a Montague – she knows he's a Montague because his parents are Montagues. She's asking why she had to fall in love with someone from the one family hers opposes.
4. Update the literal translation by rewriting it in more slangy, casual words.
5. There are several more famous speeches from Shakespeare that can receive your teenager's treatment – try Hamlet's solioquy (“To be or not to be...”), Henry V's address (“We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...”), or Mark Antony's speech (“Friends, Romans, countrymen...”)

Fun Fact: Aside from writing the most enduring stories of the Western world, many phrases spoken in Shakespeare's plays are now common sayings in the English language. “one fell swoop”, “dead as a doornail”, and “in a pickle” are all taken directly from Shakespeare.