Who should and who shouldn't read "Romeo and Juliet"?

Who should and who shouldn’t read ”Romeo and Juliet”

According to my very own opinion, “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the greatest works of all time and it is definitely something every single person should read. And the whole world already knows the story, without even reading it, so I would say that the glass is already half-full.

Although, I would especially recommend it to anyone who is interested in the English language and might want to find out how it developed these past 400 years (as you might know, “Romeo and Juliet” was written by William Shakespeare in 1595-96).
The language is very difficult from time to time and it might be hard to understand, so this isn’t a novel you read in two days if you’re in 7^th grade. Since the novel actually is a play, it is also written as a play, with actual lines and the name of the character saying the line in the margin. But this is something you get used to while reading.

 

If you’re the kind of person who adores drama, machinations, family feuds and love at first sight, then what are you waiting for? “Romeo and Juliet” has been the perfect story for those kinds of people for more than
four centuries!

To summarize; the person I recommend to read “Romeo and Juliet” is a person who might be slightly addicted to old-fashioned language and romantic stories from the 16^th century.

Then, who shouldn’t read “Romeo and Juliet”? Well, I believe that you shouldn’t read this magnificent play if you really detest romantic and poetic lines such as:
“But, soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun…”
To be honest, there are plenty of those kinds of lines.

You should also avoid reading the play if you prefer chapters to acts and scenes, since “Romeo and Juliet” is, as I already told you, a play and not an actual novel.

We are all aware of that reading a new kind of text is always difficult in the beginning. But we also know that it gets easier and easier the further you read.
So what are you waiting for? Take the first step and discover the unknown. Leave all the “normal” novels and books behind for a while and try to read a 400 year old masterpiece; a play that is one of the most famous ones ever written by mankind.

Don’t hesitate! Challenge yourself and embrace the beautiful words of William Shakespeare. 

Emmy Petersson