Rolling in the aisles with Romeo and Juliet

It is true that Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story, but the first act's exposition has some hilarious moments. Today in ninth grade English class, we had a good time.

I won't bore--or entertain, depending on the perspective-- you with the building plot of this Shakespearean play, but in case it's been a while since high school English I'll summarize. At the end of Act I, Romeo and Juliet meet at a party. They are instantly attracted to/in love with each other. Romeo compares himself to a lowly pilgrim approaching a sacred shrine or saint and, through, the metaphor, suggests kissing. Juliet demurely but slyly lets him kiss her a second time. They are then eternally in love. Yes, yes, I know it is fiction.

As my freshmen were packing up their books, they discussed the day's reading. Basically, they thought Romeo was a stud for getting Juliet to fall for his lines. Girls--to my surprise--were actually lamenting the lack of Romeos around. The best response, though, was from one bright young lady. She said, "Why don't people flirt in metaphors anymore? It works so well, and you can see who the smart guys are."

I've been grinning for the rest of the day.