Romeo and Juliet (Vol. 33) | A. K. Nardo (essay date 1977)
A. K. Nardo (essay date 1977)
SOURCE: "Romeo and Juliet Up Against the Wall," in Paunch, Vols. 48-9, September, 1977, pp. 126-32.
[In the following essay, Nardo argues that Romeo and Juliet fail to make the transition from adolescence to sexual maturity and marriage because society—their parents, friends, and mentors—have neglected to properly instruct them.]
While critics debate the reasons for Romeo and Juliet's failure as a tragedy, acting companies continue to revive and audiences to enjoy Shakespeare's drama of adolescent love. Unperturbed by what has been called its blurred focus, viewers seldom ask whether the family feud or fate or the lovers' youthful impetuosity causes the tragic suicides. Although the play may not follow the "rules" of tragedy, it must have psychological validity to have retained its popularity, at least with audiences if not with critics.
A central psychological issue in...
[The entire page is 2098 words long]
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