Rescuing the Romeo

Greetings!


Everyone (well, at least everyone who knows a little about English Literature), knows the plot of a play named 'Romeo and Juliet', written by that gifted prolific playwright - William Shakespeare. 

It is a tragedy that has been played on stage for centuries and adapted into most of the languages. This tale has inspired countless adaptations, musicals and movies. 

It has also been analyzed, critiqued and discussed over perhaps millions of conversations. 

Still, as is the case with such timeless tales, once in a while someone sees one or more dimensions of this story and cannot help sharing what has been glimpsed. (Now, that I have given justification of writing once more about this oft written about tale - let me get on with it ..) 

So, in the dimension that I glimpsed, I see Romeo as the intelligent, idealistic but impulsive and immature force of passion that lies within all of us. Romeo is the part within us that climbs the walls, jumps the balconies and goes to extremes to prove  seriousness of our own feelings towards our own ideal.

Thus, in the human hearts and minds, Romeo is the force of passion towards the ideal, and as you could guess by now, in these realms, Juliet is nothing but the cherished ideal. 





Usually this love story starts within (almost) each of us, when in teens (most probably between the age 13 and 16 like it happened in good old Bard's play). 

Many of us have our passions betrothed to our ideal in these days. It is oh so romantic and magical! We can all feel how letting this romance flower would also make this world a great place. 

In fact, since eons, those amongst us who have changed the world for better, have done it so, because the passion kept making them act to strive for ideal in their hearts! 

I have seen many eyes that sparkle with this passionate romance for a living ideal within their hearts! . Have seen this romance shine through the eyes while nursing the sick, bringing up the little ones and leading millions out of mediocrity. Have seen such men and women staking everything they have, for safety of their society, for the freedom of expression, for betterment of humanity!

Still, I see many more eyes bereft of this glint. Why? Where and whence do these eyes lose this light? 

Well (as many of us have probably experienced), the tragedy strikes when circumstances force a compromise with the cherished ideal!

The ideal, like the vulnerable Juliet, unable to face the debacle, takes a sleeping potion (usually a numbing cocktail of guilt, shame, fear and a number of lures, with crafty self-justification frothing up the surface ). 

However, our passion, like the naïve Romeo, misinterprets this lapse as the death of beloved ideal and impulsively commits suicide. 

Again, just like Juliet, after coming out of its unconscious state the ideal tries desperately to wake up the passion - but the passion towards ideal lies lifeless. 

The ideal then sees no other option but to kiss the poisoned lips of its own dead passion and pierce own heart with the dagger of cold cynicism...
 
And so, we see these eyes where this internal tragedy has occurred. Listless eyes where the gaze is always met with passionless learned helplessness, laced with cynical compromise! 

In the Bard's play these unfortunate lovers are doomed to die, never to come back to life. 

But it doesn't necessarily have to be so in human hearts and minds! 

Our internal worlds are such life-giving wonders that nothing can ultimately be finished in these wonderous places...

Can we, then, look within and make sure that we rescue the Romeos within? 

Cause once a Romeo is rescued he is sure to go to any extreme to revive his Juliet, to carry on the romance with lot more passion and perhaps with little more maturity! 


Sincerely Mine!
Anand Kulkarni

Comments

Anonymous said…
awesome analysis,APK!
Wednesday, November 18, 2020
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