Shakespeare is overrated tosh in my opinion
One of my ambitions was to visit the Royal Shakespeare Theatre at Stratford upon Avon to watch a play by the Bard himself. I watched a performance of Romeo and Juliet who some say is a tragedy about two star struck lovers, but that is so far from the truth in my opinion. In fact it’s more like a stupid story about a serial killer called Romeo and his untimely demise.
Here begins a very brief overview of a very overrated and turgid piece of utter nonsense. Hey, everyone is entitled to be a critic so here’s what I think!
The play begins with Romeo murdering someone from a neighbouring village in revenge for the killing of his cousin (yeah, real nice mate!). He was summarily banished and in the meantime Juliet’s parents had arranged for a rich duke to marry her. She rebelled saying she only had eyes for Romeo. She managed to obtain some poison which she drank on the eve of her wedding.
Next morning her parents were distraught to find her dead so a funeral was hastily carried out and she was interred in the family tomb.
Romeo finds out and visits the cemetery to pay his respects only to find the duke paying his respects also. A fight ensues and Romeo kills him as well (another nice move from our serial killer!). Romeo then opens the tomb pulls out Juliet’s body and hugs her.
He says he can't live without her and drinks some poison which he happened to have. He dies, but incredibly Juliet wakes up, it appears she wasn't dead at all. But when she finds Romeo dead she picks up a knife and stabs herself and dies again (oh god – the stupidity of the woman!).
Oh, the sheer tedium of it all and having to sit with an audience full of overblown stuck up snobs made the event almost too much to bear. If you’re planning to watch one of these plays for the first time, FORGET IT. Go visit the movies instead - even Titanic was a cut above this rubbish!
By: Phil
Comments from visitors
Et tu Brute. The Bored was even trained in Latin. Where did he get that education? On a holiday to Italy and the Adriatic? Maybe he went on a trip to China with Marco Polo, and was responsible for the internecine wars we recently seen in that region of the world.
How come he didn't write plays on Genghis Khan? Or William the Conqueror? Or Alfred the Great?
Pyramis and Thisbe has to be poem for lispers.
Is this a dagger?
How come he didn't write plays on Genghis Khan? Or William the Conqueror? Or Alfred the Great?
Pyramis and Thisbe has to be poem for lispers.
Is this a dagger?
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Alas Poor Yorick. - 10-Feb-11 23:18
Two households, both alike in dignity,
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene.
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star cross’d lovers take their life.
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death, bury their parent’s strife.
The fatal passage of their death marked love,
And the continuance of their parent’s rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours traffic of our stage.
Which those of you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
How can you not think this is amazing? Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful, tragic story with basis in ancient greek stories such as Pyramus and Thisbe. Shame on you.
In fair Verona, where we lay our scene.
From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,
Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.
From forth the fatal loins of these two foes
A pair of star cross’d lovers take their life.
Whose misadventured piteous overthrows
Doth with their death, bury their parent’s strife.
The fatal passage of their death marked love,
And the continuance of their parent’s rage,
Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,
Is now the two hours traffic of our stage.
Which those of you with patient ears attend,
What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend.
How can you not think this is amazing? Romeo and Juliet is a beautiful, tragic story with basis in ancient greek stories such as Pyramus and Thisbe. Shame on you.
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It's not nonsense if you are educated about it and understand the 'pop culture' of the 16th century. Once you do, there are parts that are actually hilarious (which is why people who are educated about Shakespeare laugh) and it is tragic because of how naive both Romeo and Juliet were. (He was barely 18 and she a fortnight from being 14... creepy if you actually think about it.)
Anyway, take a class, or brush up on the historical context and it becomes totally worth it.
Anyway, take a class, or brush up on the historical context and it becomes totally worth it.
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Why are you telling us the story? I think most intelligent and educated people know it (educated at least to high school level).
Besides that - where would we be without these common phrases (and I bet you have used quite a few):-
A fool's paradise
A sea change
A sorry sight
All corners of the world
As dead as a doornail
As good luck would have it
As pure as the driven snow
But, for my own part, it was Greek to me
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
Eaten out of house and home
Fair play
Fancy free
Foul play
Good riddance
I have not slept one wink
Love is blind
Make your hair stand on end
Send him packing
Too much of a good thing
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Wild goose chase
And that's just a fraction of the common phrases which we use in everyday English from Shakespeare. A load of old tosh? Really?
Oh, and Spug - many of us who are laughing at Shakespeare are not doing so as sheep - it is because we understand what is being said. That is why we go to see it.
Besides that - where would we be without these common phrases (and I bet you have used quite a few):-
A fool's paradise
A sea change
A sorry sight
All corners of the world
As dead as a doornail
As good luck would have it
As pure as the driven snow
But, for my own part, it was Greek to me
Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war
Eaten out of house and home
Fair play
Fancy free
Foul play
Good riddance
I have not slept one wink
Love is blind
Make your hair stand on end
Send him packing
Too much of a good thing
Wear your heart on your sleeve
Wild goose chase
And that's just a fraction of the common phrases which we use in everyday English from Shakespeare. A load of old tosh? Really?
Oh, and Spug - many of us who are laughing at Shakespeare are not doing so as sheep - it is because we understand what is being said. That is why we go to see it.
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Shakespeare - I agree, tosh!! Went to see (endure)12th night. A comedy they say, I refuse to laugh at someone because he's wearing yellow socks, but those around me laughed their socks off (no pun intended). I didn't understand why "intelligent" people were guffawing through the whole thing. I think it's because they know that they are supposed to laugh at certain things so they follow like sheep. They forget for whom these plays were written. In the 16th century the majority of the population were uneducated thickos and this type of "comedy" was at their level, not ours!! My first and last visit.
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I am not convinced Shakespeare was audience -friendly, even in his own time. Listening to play requires concentration, massive concentration is required if you are to understand the whole plot. Shakepeare was meant to be watched/listened to in a theatre. Shakepeare does not repeat the main points in his plots as each act and scene evolves. Eugene O'Neill does.
Repetition is essential to undertanding. Shakespeare doesn't do it.
Repetition is essential to undertanding. Shakespeare doesn't do it.
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Over and Over Again - 8-Jan-10 15:05
I think this response shows a hell of a lot more about the author of the post than the author of the play. Much like all really interesting things, Shakespeare needs to be studied in detail to be understood, and that is when it really comes alive. His use of language is magical, and his metaphors so vibrant that they are still a part of our common language today. If this particular representation of Shakespeare didn't rock your world, then try another. People don't pretend to like it, we honestly do. I personally think Hamlet was the finest piece of writing ever done, yet to be rivalled. I love Baz Lurman's Romeo and Juliet, so maybe try that... I have, however seen some right tosh on the stage, especially in Stratford where they don't have to work to get a full house. So, stop being such shallow, mindless hate-alls, put down your copy of the Sun and look a little deeper.
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pollylovesyou - 16-Nov-09 10:19
Phil, Romeo and Juliet was a comedy, not a tragedy. Learn your literature.
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"I like this comment. Well said, and it's a good analogy and explains why so many of us find it utterly mindless."
I found that so funny!
I found that so funny!
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"Remember that Shakespeare was essentially written as popular entertainment, it was the Corrie or Eastenders of the day, albeit not in serial form."
I like this comment. Well said, and it's a good analogy and explains why so many of us find it utterly mindless.
I like this comment. Well said, and it's a good analogy and explains why so many of us find it utterly mindless.
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Remember that Shakespeare was essentially written as popular entertainment, it was the Corrie or Eastenders of the day, albeit not in serial form.
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"If you’re planning to watch one of these plays for the first time, FORGET IT."
Why Phil? I have little knowledge of Shakespeare's works but, if they are as bad as you describe, would it not be a more convincing argument if audiences were to see that for themselves?
Why Phil? I have little knowledge of Shakespeare's works but, if they are as bad as you describe, would it not be a more convincing argument if audiences were to see that for themselves?
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Come off it! The bard's first set of plays Henry VI parts 1, 2 and 3 are absolutely brilliant. Just ask to meet the She-Wolf of France, Margaret of Anjou.
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Lavish Praise on Talbot - 23-Mar-09 19:17
I completely agree with you. Shakespeare is most deffinately overrated. It is just a load of nonsense that some guy wrote in the 16th century. I don't see why we should have to study it when most of it either doesn't make sense or is just utterly unintelligible.
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At school I was forced to study several of Shakespeare's plays, including a couple of the historical ones. The effect was to put me off history and literature for life, I found both the themes and the works themselves excruciatingly boring, pointless and banal.
I feel sorry for schoolchildren today who are forced to study this drivel.
I feel sorry for schoolchildren today who are forced to study this drivel.
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I agree that Shakespeare is overrated. Sure he has a skill with words but so can most anyone with a large vocabularly. He does have some genuine poetic ability but don't call him a great poet or writer on that account. His plays are monotoniously the same. The are inhabited by insane or very stupid characters. The storylines are unrealistic and boring or equally stupid. There is no merit in His works except for some poetic ability. They lack imagination and any sense of reality, yet are supposed to depict real people. Perhaps the reason why he is liked by so many is on the account of the long and elaborate speeches made by his characters and all the exaggerated language or his empty ideas beautified by a lofty language style. Actors like this kind of thing - something to harp on, but I guess that still doesn't explain the mania or the hype; I suppose nothing does. Yes, Shakespeare's works on the whole are rubbish.
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poetic sense - 10-Feb-09 07:16
We had to read this whole play, and now I hate romeo he is just a teenager that wants to get in juliet's pants.. it's gross.
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err... not being funny but the story above is nothing like the play that shakespeare wrote. It's a crap version so if you're going to diss anyone then diss the playwright. You people are really sad if this is what you do with your life... I mean who would actually make a website telling everybody about your experience..... low life springs to mind.... haha! the weekly gripe.... toffs or what?
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nobass_website - 29-Jul-08 10:56
I recognise an internet troll when I see one! So, hello internet troll!
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I much prefer Marlowe to Shockspur. His Faustus and Tamburlaine are absolute masterpieces, No monotonous monologues like that you get from the Bored. No wishy-washy, airy-fairy nonsense like Midsummer Night's Dream. No poncey plays like Romeo and Juliet. No crackpots like Hamlet or Lear. No historical propaganda like Richard III or the ultra-nationalism of Henry V. With Marlowe one just gets plain horror and drama.
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