Iâm a week away from playing Juliet here in New York and here are some things Iâve learned about this play and Juliet in particular over this processÂ
cw for suicide talk. I mean. You know how it ends but Iâm gonna Go Into it.
Juliet has no friends. No one. I literally think she talks to the nurse, the trees in the courtyard and the Friar in confession. And thatâs it. If she had a Celia things would be different. But she doesnât. Sheâs alone. And thatâs an integral part of the tragedy.
This is a horny play. If she can use the horniest sounding variation of a phrase she will. I mean partly thatâs just Shakespeare, but it also speaks to her isolation and sexual curiosity.
Lots of bird talk. Lots of talk about Romeo being her bird. Lots of talk about wanting?? to tie?? him up?? Like you would a little pet bird. Juliet tops is what Iâm saying.Â
In the modern theatrical conventions, we tend to smoosh the Shakespearean 5-act structure into 2 acts. When you do that, Act 1 is a comedy, where Romeo is the star, and Act 2 is a tragedy, where Juliet is the star. This whole thing is super interesting and Iâll probably make a separate post about this, but basically, a really good production can make you forget you know the ending. I donât know if weâre there in this production, but thatâs the goal!
I think Juliet was suicidal before any of this started. All of act 2 pretty much devolves into people keeping instruments of suicide away from Juliet. Like, the Nurse is all âShame come to Romeoâ until Jule starts looking a little too closely at that rope ladder and then sheâs like âok. ok. Iâll find him.â And the Friar only goes with that wild sleeping draught plan because she is literally holding herself hostage at knife point in his cell. I think - in meeting Romeo - Juliet found a reason to keep going, escape her isolation, and found a kindred soul to boot. which brings me to:
Romeo and Juliet really love each other. This play is NOT an indictment of young, rash love. Shakespeare is kinder than that, and more nuanced. If you take nothing else away from this post take this: Shakespeare was not writing fables. There is NO âmoral to the storyâ in Shakespeare. Ever. Theyâre in love because they say they are - both to each other and the audience - and itâs as real as any other given circumstance spoken in the play. Itâs as real as âtwo households both alike in dignity.â Because thatâs how Shakespeare works.
I can really only speak to Juliet for this because Iâve been in her words for the last month and a half, but for her itâs an all-consuming love because of her isolation and the darkness in her thoughts. She thought she was the only person in the world who felt the way she felt. Of course she genuinely couldnât think of a reason to keep going as soon as that was taken from her. She was alone again. She couldnât trust her nurse anymore, her father threatened to kick her out, she barely knows her mother, and the one person sheâd ever met who saw the world like she did - the one person, as far as she knows, in the world - was gone.
Anyway Iâm really excited, and also scared out of my gourd about doing this play. If youâre going to be in New York and want to do something depressing for Valentineâs Day you can get tickets here.
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