IN SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYS

Shakespeare enters the play by summarizing the story:

Once upon a time, in the beautiful city of Verona,

There are two houses from noble families, whose ancient feud suddenly causes unrest.

Blood of the innocent, hands of the good stained red. Twisted fate, hatred between two families.

Again, fate cunningly brings forth a pair of lovers, The love story is tragically heart-wrenching, buried in resentment, leaving only a waterfall of sorrow.

The love of the couple tragically shattered. On the corpse of the child, the parents forget their feud.

A heartbreaking story, a two-hour performance, we kindly ask for your patience and support.
With our limited abilities and humble talents, we strive to present.

Of course, on the ground floor of Juliet’s house, there must be the immortal verses from Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet printed on wooden pages scattered in various places. As well as most of the works about this unfinished love story. Enough to satisfy those who were once enamored with the love stories brought to life by Shakespeare in his plays…

Recently, it was discovered that to write the play, Shakespeare also relied on an even older love story, recounted by Ovid, a Roman poet who lived over two thousand years ago, in his work Metamorphoseon. That is the story of the lovers Pyrame and Thisbé in Babylon, an ancient city-state that existed over 40 centuries ago. They were forbidden by their families, and in the end, both chose to die for their love.

At the end of 2019, the book was published in Vietnam under the title “Biến thể,” translated by Quế Sơn from the English version, with reference to the French translation. An impressive work with numerous annotations by the translator helps contemporary readers better understand the content of the book.

Thanks to buying tickets, we were able to set foot on the wooden staircase leading to the first floor. Another quite spacious area displays everything related to Juliet and Romeo from Shakespeare: pictures of the couple, Juliet’s belongings… A few more steps and you reach the legendary balcony. At that time, summer was already in the afternoon, the sunlight slanted; the sky was a deep blue; the air was refreshingly cool. So refreshing.

A TIME FOR US

When I recall, an indescribable feeling of nostalgia arises within me. Closing my eyes, it seems I can immediately see Juliet and Romeo.

Actually, those are just images from the film adaptation of Shakespeare’s play that I watched during my teenage years about this tragic couple. Released in 1968, the film was naturally titled Romeo and Juliet, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, with Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting playing the two main characters.

However, it was the film’s score – A Time for Us – by Nino Rota, later given lyrics by Larry Kusik and Eddie Snyder, that left a lasting impression on me.

Phạm Duy, a Vietnamese comoser, once translated the lyrics of this song into Vietnamese; even now, there are singers – like Quang Dũng – who use the beautiful lyrics of this talented Vietnamese musician in their performances.

Below are the opening lines:

The moment of tranquility Love blossoms Listen along with us Eternal heart With a passionate love

Ecstatic and elevated The fairy-tale kiss Love shines bright

Come quickly, let us sing the Song of Love together.

My love! Come back! We will be together A thousand autumns will not fade, we will always be together…

After the pandemic, perhaps my spouse and I will visit her again, continuing to caress her breasts. That way, at least we won’t have any major arguments for another ten years!