ryans
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Posts: 13
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Post by ryans on Mar 7, 2011 8:19:02 GMT -5
I knew that the text would be hard to read, that is what everyone says about Shakespeare. However, I felt that I could get the big picture themes that were prevalent throughout the text. Romeo is in love but the girl who he loves does not love him back. And that if the families keep fighting they will be punished. I am confused, however, why Romeo wants to go to the party of the rival family. I must not have understood the explanation the play gives. I also think that the notes to the side are not helpful because they feel apart from the text. If they had superscript numbers or something that would then relate back to the other page, that would be much more helpful
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Post by dylanc on Mar 7, 2011 8:34:20 GMT -5
So far, I haven't found it to be terribly difficult, and I am really enjoying the language. There's nothing that's weird or anything at this point, but I never knew that Romeo was in love with another girl first, or that some guy was trying to marry Juliet. Also, did it say that Juliet wasn't even fourteen?
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Post by brandonb on Mar 7, 2011 11:13:24 GMT -5
Since I knew I have already knew the story of Romeo and Juliet beforehand it wasn't very difficult for me to understand the text. Also, the definitions and explanations on every left page definitely helped in my better understanding. Overall, it wasn't difficult but it was a weird reading experience and very different from what I usually read.
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eliem
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Posts: 10
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Post by eliem on Mar 9, 2011 22:11:42 GMT -5
Is it just me or is it getting easier and easier to read the text? I think the trick is to read until punctuation, or at least that's what helps me. Or (I agree with Celina) reading it aloud.
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Post by Mr. Wolfman on Mar 10, 2011 13:28:12 GMT -5
Is it just me or is it getting easier and easier to read the text? I think the trick is to read until punctuation, or at least that's what helps me. Or (I agree with Celina) reading it aloud. Hopefully it gets easier as we go. That is the idea! While the grammar and sentence structure are different than ours, they are consistently different which means that getting the hang of it is completely doable. Use whatever tricks work for you. In addition, we will keep doing all of the interactive things that we do in class that help drive understanding: listening/translating/acting/reading aloud/drawing/discussing/watching, etc. Basically, anything you can do to experience the text besides reading silently will go a long way towards driving your comfort with the text. Everyone please keep your thoughts coming, thanks!
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Post by arelicg on Mar 11, 2011 8:34:53 GMT -5
I didn't really understand the beginning of act 1 scene 5, where the servingmen are conversing. Yet the rest of the scene was easier to understand. I enjoyed the part where Romeo an Juliet meet, though I don't really understand how after such little time they are already in love with each other. One of my favorite lines in scene 5 is when Romeo notices Juliet: Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight, For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night.
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jhm
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Posts: 7
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Post by jhm on Mar 12, 2011 11:54:46 GMT -5
Shakespeare's language is difficult to understand to a modern 21-century child, but it is also very poetic. Most of the problems I have aren't in figuring out what they're saying – it's figuring out what they mean by it. In other words, I often miss what's supposed to make someone laugh (I still think I'm missing the joke in "It stinted and said 'Ay'") and although figuring out what's supposed to be sad is a little easier, there are still areas where I don't get what's going on. However, listening to the recording solves most of my problems with understanding what's going on in the book. I feel like it's getting easier to read as I go on.
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Post by nathanf on Mar 12, 2011 16:01:11 GMT -5
At first I had a lot of trouble reading Romeo and Juliet. I could understand most of it, but it took a lot of effort and I didn't really enjoy it. Now I read it while listening to the recording online, and I understand it better and I actually like it. Also, I don't like Romeo. In the beginning, he's really in love with Rosaline, but then he sees some girl at a party and instantaneously forgets about her. Also, he seems to have a habit of falling in love with the wrong people. Rosaline had taken a vow of chastity, and Juliet is his dad's archenemy's daughter.
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Post by sophiec on Mar 12, 2011 16:39:24 GMT -5
I, too, find Romeo and Juliet difficult to read on first try, but I also find that it is easier to understand when listened to. I'm a little embarrassed to say, my father and I have been reading/acting aloud the scenes as they're assigned (because he ad I are the kooks that we are ), and it's actually been really fun and helped a lot. Of lines that I like, I really like Mercutio's speak about Queen Mab and Benvolio and Romeo's conversation in Act 1 Scene 1. I also love Nurse and I have to say, I really like Capulet; he's not the feuding tyrant/villain I expected. I like the lines: "Not mad, but bound more than a madman is, Shut up in prison, kept without my food, Whipped, tormented..." (1. 2. 57-59) I saw Gnomeo and Juliet yesterday evening and it was adorable. There actually were some legitimate references to the book, and it was quite funny. I really advise any of you who haven't seen it to go before we finish reading it in class. That's for you, too, Mr. Wolfman.
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Post by brandonb on Mar 12, 2011 18:45:26 GMT -5
After reading Act 1 Scene 5, I could totally sense that the whole story of Romeo and Juliet was heading downhill from there. Even when we already know what the outcome will be it was really predictable that at that final scene in Act 1, both Romeo and Juliet's lives would be crumbling and before they know it, dead. I didn't really enjoy this scene too much and it kind of bothered me because the first four scenes were sort of slow and "easy going" but the last scene was WAY too sudden. the encounter between Romeo and Juliet should have been more subtle and a little less cheesy because it was making me feel all uncomfortable. It was really awkward to have two people just meet and fall in love and kiss all in one page... But I will admit that I am definitely enjoying Romeo and Juliet more than i did the first time and I understand it a lot better, also thanks to the audio .
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jackl
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Posts: 14
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Post by jackl on Mar 12, 2011 21:06:34 GMT -5
I found Act 1 scene 5 interesting. I like how Capulet told Tybalt to not attack Romeo. It gave me a new respect for Capulet as a pratical and honourable man. I was a little surprised how abrupt Romeo and Juliet fell in love. I mean I feel like there wasn't a smooth transition into this part of the story. I still think Act 1 is good but I feel like Scene 5 feels out there and sort of different. Overall I think Scene 5 is good but different and seems to somewhat abruptly transition to a new part of the book.
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Post by isabels on Mar 13, 2011 9:53:32 GMT -5
Act 1 scene 5 was made interesting and clear thanks to Sophie Cash and Clara Ives. I was reading this scene while we were waiting for a play. It was very boring to read it by myself and Sophie kept grabbing the book, so while Clara and I looked on Sophie acted out the scene for us. With helpful points from Clara as to which character she was portraying, I was able to understand and enjoy that scene very much. I think that the most unrealistic part of this scene was the way they fell in love. Who starts kissing someone right after their eyes meet? However, I did like most of it and it is getting much easier to read and comprehend.
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Post by Aaron E on Mar 13, 2011 13:14:02 GMT -5
At the start of the readings, I was having a hard time understanding the language. I had to re read a page a few times to understand what was going on. The further into the book I have gotten, the easier it has been to understand what is haappening. Listening to the story from Mr. Reinsteins website, and it has gotten a lot easier. Also, just getting more familiar with the language has made it easier to understand.
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Ian G
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Posts: 13
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Post by Ian G on Mar 13, 2011 13:45:24 GMT -5
In the beginning of Act 1 Scene 5, I was having trouble keeping track of the servingmen. I could not visualize what they were doing because I was so caught up in understanding the language. However, listening to it on audio and following along is 1234567890 times easier than just straight reading. Once I got passed the language and what I didn't understand, this book is actually very good. It is poetic without trying too hard.
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alexc
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Posts: 14
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Post by alexc on Mar 13, 2011 14:54:37 GMT -5
I have actually found Act 1 Scene 5 quite interesting. We have determined in class that Romeo has a tendency to "throw himself" into relationships that are, in ways, exaggerated crushes. Because of this tendency, it seems true that Romeo has not yet found true love. When Romeo immediately fell in love with Juliet at the party, it gave me a new idea about their relationship. From the general summary that most people hear about Romeo and Juliet, it would seem that their love in the play is as true as love can get. However, now that I am reading the play, and know that Romeo has a pattern of getting involved in one relationship after another, I am suspicious that Romeo's love for Juliet is, in fact, another example of his "throwing himself" at others. Perhaps the only person in the relationship who does feel true love is Juliet, as she seems to have never fallen in love before. The "love at first sight" part of this scene has provided me with a new way of looking at Romeo's love of Juliet.
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