Apropos(e)
Thursday, February 14th by scott malia
Perhaps some people aren’t superstitious. They step on cracks, walk under ladders and break mirrors without breaking a sweat. That carefree approach to life may explain a truly unique Shakespearean-themed wedding proposal. Following a performance of a Bard play, a man took his unsuspecting girlfriend on stage and, in front of cast, crew and audience, asked her to marry him. The girl readily agreed to the delight of the onlookers. The play that served as the backdrop for this romantic event was Romeo and Juliet.
On one level, of course, the play is incredibly romantic. It is about the passion and intensity of young love. In many ways, perhaps Romeo and Juliet can serve as ideals of what love should be…except for that Thelma and Louise of an ending. This proposal took place in the darkened crypt where Romeo gulped down a poisoned cocktail and Juliet bear-hugged a knife. Not exactly Cinderella, if you get my drift. Maybe a play about fatally unrequited love sets the wrong tone for a marriage.
Admittedly, it is a healthier relationship that the sicko power games the Macbeths are into, but I can’t help thinking there are Shakespeare characters who offer a more, shall we say, optimistic view of romance. For all of their fighting, Beatrice and Benedick, are a fairly well-matched couple: they aren’t sickeningly ingénue-ish for the cynics out there; they are fun and witty; most importantly, however, their romantic adventures end with both of them still breathing.
