The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet: a play by William Shakespeare

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I
/51yTOeZfsZL._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg

Bibliography

Hinds, Gareth. The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet: a play by William Shakespeare.  Somerville: Candlewick Press, 2013.  978-0-7636-5948-6

Summary

A classic tale of forbidden love is given new life in the format of a graphic novel.  Two families, the Montagues and Capulets, are at eternal odds.  Their dislike for each other often turns to violence.  Despite this feud, young Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet find each other and immediately fall hopelessly in love.  Tragedy is on the horizon for all, as young love deepens and the hatred between families grows.

Analysis

Beautiful illustrations bring Shakespeare’s original work to life in this modern adaptation.  Vivid watercolors capture the elegance and graces of the story, while Batman-style onomatopoeias bring action and movement to the words.  The modern format opens the work to a new generation of readers who may otherwise be put off to the antiquated style of writing.

Unfortunately, the comic style often hinders the original format.  Due to the small space for speech bubbles, the work is abridged and the iambic pentameter often destroyed by misplaced line breaks.  While there are sections of the book where the original lines have been preserved, the areas where design dominates verse are hard to read and lack the original power of Shakespeare’s writing. 

While Hinds’s work opens the door, those who are reluctant will likely still require assistance and care to learn to enjoy Shakespeare.  I am personally not a fan of reading Shakespeare’s works.  I found the graphic novel to be more pleasant than simply reading, but would not choose it over seeing the works acted out. 

Awards and Reviews

*YALSA 2014 Great Graphic Novels for Teens nomination

*Kirkus Best Teens Books 2013 selection

“Hinds as director, set designer and writer has expertly abridged the original text while embellishing it with modern sensibilities. His edition retains the flavor and poetry of the 1597 play and its memorable and oft-quoted dialogue. It is in the watercolor and digitally illustrated panels that he truly presents a stunning visual reading. Juliet and the Capulets are from India. Romeo and the Montagues are from Africa. Thus, the political rivalries of Verona become contemporary and more meaningful to 21st-century readers. The Capulets are dressed in reds and the Montagues in blue—all against the finely rendered lines of Verona’s buildings and Friar Laurence’s monastery. Beautiful shades of blue infuse the night sky as the two lovers swear their eternal devotion. The panels vary in size to control the pace of the plot. Sword fights pulse with energy and occasional karate thrusts for added drama. The most moving image—a double-page spread without words—is depicted from above in shades of gold and brown stained red with blood as Romeo and Juliet lie dead and immortalized in each other’s arms. As thrilling and riveting as any staging.” –Kirkus

“Cleaving to Shakespeare’s words and his dramatic arc, Hinds creates another splendid graphic novel, tracing each scene in taut, coherent, and expertly deployed dialogue. Hinds’s characters, in period array modified by a few more contemporary touches, are poignantly specific yet as universal as this tragic tale of young love demands. ... . Expertly pacing the drama with varied frames, often with sharp, action-propelling angles, Hinds explicates and amplifies Shakespeare’s story on every page, including wordless fight scenes that highlight pivotal details. ... From swirling action to subtly delineated emotion, he delivers the play’s essence and beauty, its glorious language, furious conflict, yearning love, and wrenching tragedy. This is not only a wonderfully accessible introduction to a full text or (better yet) theatrical production; it’s a visual delight for anyone.” –The Horn Book

Connections

Read, watch and act out Romeo and Juliet.  Write a comparison about how the different mediums affect your understanding and reaction to the play. 

Gareth Hinds’s Website

Hinds's Sketch Blog

Hinds has turned a number of other Shakespeare works into graphic novels, such as MacBeth and The Merchant of Venice.  Choose one of these titles to read.  Create separate Venn Diagrams comparing the illustrations, emotion, and main characters from the books.

A presentation by Hinds

Q&A with Hinds

Twitter

Hinds took an old, famous story and made it his own.  Choose an old story that you love and give it new life.  Reinvigorate it any way you would like, such as making a graphic novel, filming a movie or creating a stop-action film.