Characters in Romeo and Juliet by Williams Shakespeare

This is the excellent foppery of the world, that,

when we are sick in fortune,--often the surfeit

of our own behavior,--we make guilty of our

disasters the sun, the moon, and the stars: as

if we were villains by necessity; fools by

heavenly compulsion; knaves, thieves, and

treachers, by spherical predominance; drunkards,

liars, and adulterers, by an enforced obedience of

planetary influence; and all that we are evil in,

by a divine thrusting on. (I.II.442-449)

When this quote was spoken, Edmund was telling Gloucester about a letter that Edgar wrote about killing him to get his money, however, Edmund faked the letter, making Gloucester believe that Edgar was a villain. Upon hearing this, Gloucester said, These late eclipses in the sun and moon portend/ no good to us. (I.II.429-430) With this quote, Shakespeare is telling his audience that misery isn’t caused by “the sun, moon, and stars”. It is the cause of one’s own actions, but people believe that when they suffer, it isn’t their fault, and they blame others. That, according to Shakespeare, is the idiocy of the world. In Shakespeare’s plays, specifically King Lear and Romeo and Juliet, grieving is a common theme, and it makes a greater point about humanity. Shakespeare makes people suffer in his plays to show his audience that suffering in universal and often the product of one’s poor decisions.

Using the characters of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare shows that one’s actions in love can make people suffer. Upon meeting, Romeo and Juliet kiss, and seem to be falling in love, although only knowing each other for a little while. When Juliet leaves, she goes to her balcony, and Romeo sees her, then says to himself that he loves her more than anything.

It is my lady. Oh, i...

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...sight into his failures and the nature of the people around him. Gloucester realized that he didn’t need eyes because even when he had them, he couldn’t see clearly. Shakespeare’s greater meaning is that people will suffer unless they look beneath the surface, and that having literal sight doesn’t mean that people can see clearly. The audience should understand that they shouldn’t look at the world and make decisions with their eyes, but with their heart and mind.

The theme of suffering in Shakespeare’s plays, King Lear and Romeo and Juliet is used to show that suffering is universal and often the product of one’s poor decisions. His plays show many truths about humanity, and many of them are explained from characters such as Romeo, Juliet, King Lear, and Gloucester that have to suffer because of their actions. Shakespeare shows his audience that everyone suffers.