Customer Reviews

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet (Wileys Manga Shakespeare)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

An alternative to the same old Romeo and Juliet for young people! Certain classes seem to dive into Shakespeare, while others drift over him, never really sure what his most famous tragedy is truly about. This comic/manga version, is a useful tool for students struggling with the reading of Shakespeare's language, making the play accessible while still requiring the student to read key passages. The pictures capture the student's attention and often times get the hesitant student to read what they normally wouldn't. I used this version to teach last year and was amazed at the response! Very helpful and well done!

If you ever teach Romeo and Juliet, this is an excellent graphic novel or manga version to accompany Shakespeare's play. I also had the impression that some of its graphics were inspired by the 1968 movie version because they looked alike. The only graphic moment I recall that seemed weak in comparison to that movie was Mercutio's death. Everything else was quite faithful to the Shakespeare play. I highly recommend it.

This is interesting and fun for children who love comics and illustrations and for the visual learners. My niece hates to read as she is slightly dyslexic, but she enjoyed the comic version as she has always loved comics from young and were used to encourage her to read. However, at the front of the text there could be an illustrated character section which shows who is who in terms of characters as it takes a while to identify them.

This wonderful manga is an essential part of my curriculum in teach Romeo and Juliet to my freshman English I class. The two huge benefits: the pictures are very realistic and actually match up with what the stage directions have to say, and the dialogue is not some paraphrased nonsense, it is authentic: the real Shakespearean English from the original text. The text is abridged, but it is done in a way that only enhances the reading for the students. The kids have all said the pictures help them picture what is going on, and it can help you speed up the scenes where the long monologues can be confusing or cause the action to lag for kids who struggle with reading. I give this FIVE stars because the play is preserved through careful editing (no famous lines are omitted) and the play is enhanced by the illustrations.

In a world locked behind Verona walls, the story of Romeo and Juliet questions the very meaning of love and the importance of it.. It puts forward the notion that a life without love is not worth living, and explains the decisions, the conflicts and tragedy that illustrate the journey in between. Trapped within an ongoing feud that denies the love that Romeo and Juliet posses, it is a struggle in itself to defy their parent's authority, which to some may seem adolescent, but in actual fact is quite honourable. It describes a tragedy so moving, so gripping. It lets us feel the emotionally charged characters, their beliefs, loyalties and values, in such a way that grips our very souls to feel such pity for the end result of their cursed love. They loved only for some hour's time, but sacrificed a lifetime's worth