Romeo and Juliet: 4/30

I can personally relate to Benvolio. Benvolio is more carefree than Romeo, and is always having to console him after each of his lost loves.  He tells Romeo, "Be ruled by me.  Forget to think of her./By giving liberty unto thine eyes.  Examine other beauties."  He doesn't get involved in the dramatic conflicts of love.  I have a few friends who feel like time is coming to a close when a certain guy doesn't return their affections.  My other friends and I are constantly comforting them and telling them that it will be alright.  These romantic friends are like Romeo in that they are shortsighted.  They do not see that one heartbreak-causing boy in 9th grade will mean absolutely nothing to them later in life.

Reading Romeo and Juliet has been interesting.  Certain scenes are very easy to read and understand, while others may as well be written in Greek.  I have found that the most helpful resources are the footnotes on the left side pages and class discussions.  I feel like I would understand everything more if we had ungraded socratic seminars more often without being prepared with questions.  If it weren't for the "grade" fear, I think people would talk more which would liven the discussion and increase understanding.  The most difficult things in the book for me to understand are puns.  I never, ever catch them!  The words are rarely used, the jokes discreet.  I hope we discuss more of the puns in class--I worry that I am missing a huge chunk of the book without catching the puns!