It's rare that a literary analysis assignment can blend humor as successfully as the essay below, but in this argument piece, Julie P., a ninth grader, claims that there is a darker side to the so-called "greatest love story every told," and we think that you'll agree that it is every bit as entertaining as it is informative.
A Tragic Hero . . . But Also A Stalker
As I look into out into the black, black night, the only thing I can see
is the ever-changing moon above. The night is warm and I like the thought of
being alone after the party. Suddenly, I hear a voice in the night and I leap
back. How dare this man intrude my home! I am about to call the guards when I see who
it is in the pale moonlight. Romeo. How strange that he found this place. I
only met him hours ago.
Throughout Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is portrayed as
a lovesick romantic who would do anything for Juliet. However, no one realizes
how creepy Romeo’s actions are. Whether he’s becoming obsessed with every
beautiful girl he sees or stalking Juliet outside her room, Romeo needs to take
a chill and get a good night’s sleep. Romeo is an old-fashioned stalker.
Although
Juliet seems to return Romeo’s dramatic love poems, Rosaline did not, most
likely because he scared her into chastity. We can tell this when Romeo says,
“Well in that hit you miss. She’ll not be hit/ With Cupid’s arrow. She hath
Dian’s wit” (1.1.216-217). Rosaline does not seem interested whatsoever in
Romeo, but don’t worry, he won’t be heartbroken for long. Romeo moves on to
Juliet as soon as he sees her.
The balcony
scene is an extreme example of Romeo’s utter eeriness. He somehow, unknown to
readers, climbs the stone wall outside of Juliet’s room. When Juliet asks him,
“How camest thou hither, tell me, and wherefore/ the orchard walls are high and
hard to climb” (2.2.67-8). Romeo’s answer is very vague; “With love’s light
wings did I o’er perch these walls” (2.2.71). No one exactly knows how he
arrived under Juliet’s balcony, but people disregard this fact and only focus
on the romantic gesture that Romeo would climb the wall for her.
Walking
into the mall, I spot a couple of girls who look about thirteen; I follow them
around and eventually end up going up to the prettiest one and talking to her.
She seems extremely scared and shocked that I’m talking to her. What am I doing
wrong…?
The fact that Romeo is about
seventeen while Juliet is thirteen adds to the creepy effect. Translating this
into the modern scene above makes it clear just how disturbing this is. We can
tell that Juliet is too young when her father, Capulet, says, “My child is yet a
stranger in the world/ she hath not seen the change of fourteen years”
(1.2.7-8). Although there isn’t an extreme gap between their ages, Romeo
eventually makes the decision to kill himself over a thirteen year old.
Romeo shows
Juliet how much he loves her in his actions: leaping the stone wall, kissing
her passionately, etc. However, he also makes sure she knows she’s the only
girl he wants, using his words, poems and speeches of love. For example, Romeo
says, “O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied” (2.2.132). Romeo uses sketchy
words such as “unsatisfied” which leave the audience (and Juliet) a little
nervous. Romeo sees what he wants and he will do whatever it take to get it.
Even though being creepy isn’t extremely awful, if Romeo wasn’t such a stalker,
they both would have lived, maybe even happily ever after.
As Romeo
soon found out, “These violent delights have violent ends” (2.6.8). Romeo was
an old-fashioned stalker, which greatly pleased him. However his fantasizing,
dreaming, and creeping all came to naught, and he killed himself over a
thirteen year old girl who he couldn’t be with. This is the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet.
