#VelshiBannedBookClub: Shakespeare's 'Romeo and Juliet' - Velshi - MSNBC

[Rhiannon12866]

One of Shakespeare’s most popular, most performed, and most famous plays — “Romeo and Juliet” explores familial ties, the inevitability of fate, and the power of love. It's typically either beloved or derided by Shakespeare enthusiasts. And now it is all but removed from some Florida classrooms.

Hillsborough County says it will assign only excerpts of “Romeo and Juliet,” and not the entire play, in order to comply with Governor Ron DeSantis' newly-expanded education restrictions which regulate books with so-called “sexual content." “Romeo and Juliet” belongs to a tradition of tragic and forbidden romance that precedes Shakespeare. 400 years later, the play still masterfully captures the belief that love is a powerful force. - Aired on 08/26/2023.

[The Unmitigated Gall]

1. Fascists the power of love also.

It figures in Orwell's 1984 as well.

[Rhiannon12866]

2. I remember studying Shakespeare in high school

There was a different play each year, but "Romeo and Juliet" was the initial one - not to mention, most of the classics that we read are now on DeSantis' "banned book list."

[The Unmitigated Gall]

4. Romeo and Juliet

Were my introduction as well.
I left out “hate”, as in fascists hate the power of love, which overflows in that play.

[Rhiannon12866]

6. I also remember going with my friend to see the movie of "Romeo and Juliet" that came out when I was

A kid. Shakespeare was considered educational back then. And as I said in another post, I went to a girls' summer camp in Vermont and one year when I was in my early teens there was a Shakespeare festival nearby, so my "group" was allowed to go to see three of the plays - I remember two, "Richard III" and "Othello." It was considered an advantage for us kids. *sigh*

[Karadeniz]

3. One year I read Romeo and Juliet to my ninth graders, explaining it practically line by line. They

loved it and decided they wanted another one. But where to get enough books? The students checked out all the Shakespeare collections from nearby libraries and put two students per book. We read Othello. I'd forgotten about some of it....the beast with two backs... so after we got through that, one student got up without asking, went to the door and shut it. In response to my questioning look, he explained that if we were going to read X-rated material, we'd better keep the door closed!!!!! So that's what we did....

[Rhiannon12866]

5. When I was in high school we studied Shakespeare and I also believe "Romeo and Juliet" was 9th grade

And where I grew up they offered summer school courses in both elementary and junior high - and I remember that Shakespeare's comedies were offered in the junior high years. I also went to a girls' summer camp in Vermont and one year in my early teens there was a local Shakespeare festival and my "group" was allowed to see performances of three of the plays - I only remember two, one was "Richard III" and the other was "Othello." It was considered educational for us kids. And I also took two semesters of Shakespeare literature classes in college, I remember liking the histories the best. It was a very popular course - these are classics that have stood the centuries. *sigh*