In Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet, he uses many literary devices to add to the tragedy and storyline. One of the things he uses that greatly impacts the story is identity. He uses family affiliation, gender, social class, and age to create a sense of superiority versus inferiority, strengthen the emotional connections and the reactions of the characters, and provide barriers for the character to overcome throughout the storyline. First of all, Shakespeare uses identity to create a sense of superiority versus inferiority in the story. One scene that highlights the idea of superiority is when Paris and Lord Capulet are discussing Juliet being married to Paris. Lord Capulet tells Paris that “Juliet will be ruled in all respects by …show more content…
An example in the texts that highlights identity affecting emotions is the age of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo says that his “life were better ended by their hate than death prorogued, wanting of thy love” (Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 77-78). Romeo and Juliet are both hormone crazy teenagers. Because they are in their teenage years, they can’t see past the now. They overreact in the moment because they can’t see anything into the future. Romeo just turns to death as his only option because he can’t see anything else helping him. This shows age takes an effect on the characters reactions to certain situations. Similarly, Juliet says to Friar Laurence, “with this knife I’ll help it presently” (Act 4, Scene 1, Line 55). Juliet as well, turns to death as an option. She can’t open her eyes to the reality because she has the teenage lense on her eyes. All she can see is the worst possible things and nothing good. This gives readers a clear image that the age of Romeo and Juliet clouds their judgement in situations. In brief, age identity plays into the decisions and emotions of the characters in the
Romeo and Juliet is a well known story, which commonly is aspired after. What you do not normally hear is that the idea of identity strongly contributes to plot. While going through struggles and difficulties, Romeo and Juliet are constantly trying to associate with their identity. The gender, age, or family affiliation of the characters in Romeo and Juliet heavily provides and devotes to the actions of this play.
In the play of Romeo and Juliet, the reader is introduced to two young star-crossed lovers who hope to fall in love and have the happily ever after. However, through the twists and turns of the play, the reader finds the story has a twisted ending. For the project, my group chose Juliet as our portrayed character. In our portrayal of Juliet, the character is well summarized as well as the characters role in the play. Beginning at her head, we summarize Juliet’s family life in a discrete but well thought out way. Upon Juliet’s head sits a golden headband to represent being of a higher family. While Juliet is no princess, she is the only child of Lord and Lady Capulet. “Hang thee, young baggage! Disobedient wretch! I tell thee what: get thee to church o' Thursday, Or never after look me in the face. Speak not. Reply not. Do not answer me. My fingers itch.—Wife, we scarce thought us blest That God had lent us but this only child, But now I see this one is one too much And that we have a curse in having her. Out on her, hilding!”(3.5.160-168). Because she is the only daughter of the Lord and Lady, one can suspect a life filled with pressure for young Juliet.
Juliet is young and still eager to please her parents. She is only thirteen in the beginning the idea of
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare is a play about two lovers from different families that have an internal feud between them. It ends in both lovers, Romeo and Juliet, committing suicide as they could not openly live with each other. An important idea in this play is that of the impetuosity of youth and the rash decisions that young people may make. This idea is continuously brought up throughout the play and is explored through the concepts of overreacting and being blinded by anger, desperation in forbidden love and taking your life for love.
The societal roles and expectations forced upon Juliet regarding her identity impact her actions and decisions. Juliet’s expected contributions to society were based on her gender,her social class and family name, and her age.
In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the audience witnesses a great amount of familial pride when Tybalt shouts to an opposing family member, “What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word, as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward,” (Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1.1 pg 12). In the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare depicts two feuding families who once had a legitimate reason to be mad at one another, but now continuously fight each other fueled purely by family pride. This everlasting conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets illustrate to the audience how having too much family pride places a restriction on familial unity.
“Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare is a play about two lovers from different families that have an internal feud between them. It ends in both lovers, Romeo and Juliet, committing suicide as they could not openly live with each other. An important idea in this play is that of the impetuosity of youth and the rash decisions that young people may make. This idea is continuously brought up throughout the play and is explored through the concepts of overreacting and being blinded by anger, desperation in forbidden love and taking your life for love.
In Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt. Right away, we get an idea of who these characters are and what kind of role they will play throughout the story. Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt share many distinctive characteristics and personalities in the story. We learn that Romeo is the romantic and handsome son of the Montagues. In the beginning of the story, he was depressed, but his mood quickly changed as the story went on. We also learn that Mercutio is Romeo’s closest and good friend who tries to make Romeo forget about his first love, Rosaline. He is a great entertainer and he’s very sarcastic too. Instantly, we learn that Tybalt is a Capulet and Juliet’s cousin. He is very hot-headed, aggressive, and violent. He loathes the Montagues very much. Finally, in Act One of William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we meet three characters, Romeo, Mercutio, and Tybalt and we directly get an idea of what the characters are like.
Unlike Romeo’s adolescents Juliet once again breaks free from that stereotype right before she is going to drink the potion that makes her look dead. She is worried about if she “wake[s] before the time that Romeo comes to redeem [her]” (4.3,35-end). By this she means that she fears that Romeo will not be there by the time she wakes up and she will be stuck in the tomb with all the dead bodies which will inturn make her go crazy. Juliet though she is not as bad as Romeo still makes some adolescent choices that really affect he life like marrying Romeo and also killing herself.
Romeo fights and kills Tybalt just because Tybalt slays Mercutio, despite knowing the consequence of fighting -death- he still takes it upon himself as a way to seek repentance for Mercutio’s death. He is able to restrain himself before the death of Mercutio but after his death Romeo falls to his impulsiveness and fights Tybalt. After killing Tybalt and getting banishment instead of a death sentence, Romeo refuses to look on the bright side and goes to Friar Lawrence where he says “Ha, banishment! Be merciful, say ‘death’.” (Act 3, Scene 3 line 12), this shows that he deems life without Juliet life not worth living. He then continues weep then decides to take his own life, the Friar stopped him but had Romeo stopped being so quick to make decisions he would have realised banishment is much better than death and would be rejoicing instead of weeping. Romeo hears about Juliet's “death” from his servant Balthasar he instantly decides to kill himself, he doesn't mourn his loss or even cry, he simply buys poison, rides to Verona and kills himself. Had he spoken to anyone and taken any advice he would realize that suicide is not the answer but he had his mind made in a minute, he wanted to be dead with his wife. Romeo impulsiveness to make decisions is a very important characteristic for him to have and for the rest of the
Romeo drank a vile of poison because he heard the news that Juliet had died, but in reality she was asleep awaiting for his rescue. Juliet awakes to the horrifying sight of Romeo’s lifeless corpse where she commits suicide in the fashion of stabbing herself with Romeo’s dragger. Though both Romeo and Juliet seem to progress through the Five Stages of Grief in an instant. In the case of Romeo, he initially denies the news of Juliet’s “death” and then retorts to searching for a means he should use to kill himself. Romeo experienced the first stage of denial and skips all the stages until acceptance where he acknowledged the terms of the situation and believed that suicide is the best method in order to be with Juliet forever. “Romeo felt cold, even in that terrible heat … ‘It can’t be!’ said Romeo at last … Romeo had made up his mind. He would sleep with Juliet that night. The only question was what means should he use to kill himself? He felt nothing- his only though was to get Juliet and be with her forever” (Shakespeare 94). On the other hand, based on the inferences from the text, Juliet doesn’t seem to experience the Five Stages of Grief at all and appears as if she has given up hope and decide to die to live by
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet centres on the relationship between two young protagonists, but much of what occurs during the play is as a result of the inequality between men and women. Juliet’s arranged marriage with Paris, as well as the ancient feud between Capulets and Montagues eventually contributes to the deaths of their children.
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”¬¬ is considered to be one of the most tragic stories ever told and the most asked question is ‘What, exactly, caused their deaths?’ That question has been answered from a respected, educated literature critic to the adolescent mind of an annoyed teenager. The sources that shall be used are from professional critics, but the opinion shall lean toward more of an annoyed teen. While not exactly annoyed, more exasperated, one could say. Romeo and Juliet commit suicide because of their young age. Romeo’s impulsiveness and desperation to love mixed with Juliet’s innocence and easily influenced personality prove to be a deadly pair. Romeo and Juliet’s lack of experience for love because of their age ultimately led to their death.
The societal roles and expectations forced upon Juliet regarding her identity impact her actions and decisions. Juliet’s expected contributions to society are based on her gender, her age, and her family name.
Suicide is the most extreme manifestation of this fear of life. A more moderate manifestation of this fear is depression. Early in the play, Romeo is described as having depression-like symptoms. As the love affair progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that Romeo can not handle life without Juliet. By the end of the play, he kills himself because he can no longer have Juliet.