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Citation Station: Bard or Jester in Romeo and Juliet

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      CommentAuthorcmseagle
    • CommentTimeFeb 12th 2007
     

    "A jester or bard character who speaks in verse can be found in all but three Shakespeare plays: King John, Measure for Measure, and As You Like It."

    I do not believe that there is a jester or bard character in Romeo and Juliet, can someone please post the location at which s/he appears?

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeFeb 12th 2007
     

    In Romeo and Juliet, the jester appears only in a non-speaking role in the crowd when our forelorn lovers first meet.

    There are a number of plays where the jester/bard appears only in a non-speaking role and it's like "where's Waldo" trying to find them.

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      CommentAuthorcmseagle
    • CommentTimeFeb 12th 2007 edited
     

    well then, would not the fact be incorrect based on the fact that he does not speak in verse?

    And also, if shakespeare does not mention him in any copies of the play, how is it known that he exists?

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeFeb 12th 2007 edited
     

    Sorry, I mis-read it and I was wrong regardless.

    I found the jester in my copy at Act I Scene V, A hall in Capulet's house, with the stage notes "Musicians and jester waiting. Enter servingmen with napkins." The jester gets to say "I know not, sir." during Romeo's entrance. Though in my other copy, the jester is still waiting with the musicians in the stage notes, but the line is given to "Second Servant". And finally, I found another copy online where there jester isn't mentioned in the directions nor given any line, but was listed in the Dramatis Personae! So there's another of the many little details that differ from copy to copy.

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      CommentAuthorcmseagle
    • CommentTimeFeb 12th 2007
     

    in my copy, this line is spoken by a servant.

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    I had a good laugh when I saw this discussion. I was a bit of a Shakespeare buff back in my college days, and I had the opportunity to study off the original folios. Taed is right, versions differ based on the publishing company, as well as the editor they selected. However, most versions these days will list the character as a jester. If you've got some time to kill, go to the book store and compare the versions they've got on the shelves. It'll be a very illuminating experience.

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      CommentAuthorWrong
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    Not to insult you, oh great Legatissimo, but I hope none of us have the time to go to the bookstore and compare different versions of Shakespear's plays :tongue:

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      CommentAuthorFact totum
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    You'll get the best results going to the bookstore in Stratford-on-Avon

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      CommentAuthorcmseagle
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    Funny, I have searched through two copies of Romeo and Juliet which I own, and several internet sources, and none of them list this character as a jester. Also, does he truly speak in verse if he only has one line?

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      CommentAuthormargaret
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    I'd say so. Without his line the meter and verse are broken.

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    Meter and verse are not specific to individual lines, there's a cadence to the entire play

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      CommentAuthorUdoboy
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    I should note that the jester appears in the cinematic remake a few years ago (Leonardo Di Caprio, Claire Danes). Check it out.

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    That was Michael Rappaport, right? He certainly looked familiar!

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      CommentAuthoreasyEmu
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     
    Posted By: Taed

    That was Michael Rappaport, right? He certainly looked familiar!

    Are you serious?! I thought that part was played by Gary Busey!:confused:

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      CommentAuthorTaed
    • CommentTimeFeb 13th 2007
     

    Sometimes I get Gary Busey and Nick Nolte confused because their arrest photos look identical.

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      CommentAuthorcmseagle
    • CommentTimeFeb 17th 2007
     
    Posted By: legatissimo

    Meter and verse are not specific to individual lines, there's a cadence to the entire play

    Yes, this is true, but speaking IN VERSE implies that the character has some element of poetry involved in their speaking.

    Also, anyone who has EVER seen the movie version of a piece of literature, should know that these movies are not to be trusted.

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    cmseagle, I studied at the Folger Shakespeare Library, where I helped manage the operations of Shakespeare Quarterly, I'm aware of what it means for a character to speak in verse.

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