In the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, the protagonist, Juliet is confronted with a conflict relating to her social identity against her inner identity. Juliet’s soliloquy explores the theme of forbidden love which is initiated by social identities. After the Capulet feast, when leaning out of her window, unaware that Romeo is below in the Capulet garden listening, Juliet says, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet. / What's in a name? That we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet” (II. II 33- 44). In other words, she asks why Romeo must be a Montague, the son of her family’s greatest enemy. Still …show more content…
Then, she compares a flower to Romeo. The metaphor Shakespeare uses, comparing Romeo to "a rose" emphasizes the importance of Juliet's soliloquy. Shakespeare also uses a rhetorical question within the speech to further enhance how Juliet is feeling. Here, Juliet is in a vulnerable state where she is speaking to herself about the conflict. She desires to know why a person's name and outer identity matters when once you eliminate their name, the qualities of the person remain the same; just like how the scent of a rose would smell the same even after you stop calling it a rose. Juliet's rhetorical question dramatizes the fact that she is desperate for this forbidden love to work out. The readers learn that Juliet is more of an emotional and exaggerated character through her soliloquy; she does not want Romeo to see this side of her and wants to appear strong and brave on the surface. If Juliet had not met Romeo, she would not be able to understand the importance of love whether it is against her social identity or family honour. At this point, Juliet realizes that the family feud between the Capulets and the Montagues is
In particular, “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name./ Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (II.II.33-34). Juliet wonders why must Romeo be a Montague, and why must their families hate each other. In addition, Juliet would give up her association with the Capulets to be with Romeo, so she would be giving up a part of herself. Furthermore, “Till thou shalt know the reason of my love./ And so, good Capulet—which name I tender/ As dearly as my own—be satisfied” (III.I.41-43). Romeo tells Tybalt that since he is married to Juliet that he loves the name Capulet just as much as he loves his own name. He now affiliates with both the Capulets and Montagues and shows this with affection to Tybalt before the fight. When talking of the theme of identity in this play, you cannot forget how important the last name of a character
Unaware that Romeo is near her, Juliet reveals her infatuated love for him and expresses anger at the concept of their family names. She is not enemies with the Montague people, but with the name itself. Like a rose, if Romeo had a different name, he would be the the same person since names are only labels. However, with the Montagues and Capulets, the family name defines who someone is on either side of the long-standing
This quote is being said by Juliet while she as she is wandering the gardens waiting for Romeo - at this point in the play Romeo and Juliet have just been married and Romeo has killed Tybalt. Juliet compares herself to a house that has been sold but she has not been able to give the owner any pleasure -in this case, her consummation to Romeo. In lines 17-23, Juliet comments on Romeo's allure and says when he's dead, and if he's cut into "little stars," he will make the night so beautiful that no one will want it to be daytime. Juliet uses figurative language to describe the impatience she feels while waiting for Romeo. She compares her impatience with the eagerness of a child who has new clothes but yet may not wear them, and she likens her
Throughout history, literature has attempted to define love using different styles of writing to convey a multitude of opinions of what love is. Love is easily described as a metaphor, and oftentimes, metaphors change the way people think about simple tasks and ideas. Catron states that metaphors “shape the way we experience the world,” and one of these experiences is love (TED Talk). Although metaphors are very commonly used to define love, there are many other similar ways that the life-changing experience of love is able to be explained. Love is a feeling of attraction, affection, and difficult experiences that are capable of transforming the way a person views the world.
Friar Lawrence is a humble and holy who is respected by the other characters. Figurative language and dramatic conventions give a well-grounded understanding of his motives, traits and values. His main motive is peace between the families he “All I had wanted to achieve was peace.” As a friar he respects the Montague’s and Capulet’s. The quote represents his motive that he wanted the feuding to stop. When he married Romeo and Juliet he wished for more then their happiness. He hoped that the marriage would bring families together. When witnessing the deaths he says in sorrow, “I’m a friar holy and peaceful.” “Oh lord the poor deaths that lie in front of me. Are due to my greed to resolve the feud.” The term friar represents his traits, being
In the Prologue, the Chorus tells the audience of the family feud between the Capulets and Montagues. Additionally, family feuds and holding grudges led to the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Juliet struggles with the conflict that Romeo is a Montague, an enemy to her family, “O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?/ Deny thy father and refuse thy name,/ Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,/ And I'll no longer be a Capulet,” (2.2.36-39). Juliet tries to imagine the hatred could be reconciled. She also tries to think of Romeo as though he is not a Montague. The family feud affects Romeo and Juliet’s love affair, causing them to be sneaky, tell lies, and forcing them to create secret plans with the Friar Lawrence. However, because of all the impulsive actions and character flaws stated above, the family feud drove the lovers apart, and put them to their
Romeo and Juliet are not supposed to be together. Upon seeing Romeo, Juliet sends The Nurse to find out who he is. Nurse returns saying, “His name is Romeo, and a Montague, / The only son of your great enemy” (I v 36-37). They instantly become desperate to see each other all the time, ignoring the fact that their families are feuding. Juliet likes the proverbial forbidden fruit, saying, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo called / Retain that dear perfection which he owes / Without that...
In the play, Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, many emotions will be experienced as the tragic story between two star-crossed lovers who cannot be together due to their family’s rivalry. In the play, readers will come across a monologue by Romeo. Within that monologue, Romeo says “More fierce and more inexorable far than empty tigers or the roaring sea.” This metaphor will most likely have readers feeling somewhat upset, but that is only one of the many emotions readers will experience throughout this tragic love story.
Throughout the play, Juliet struggles with loyalty toward her family, at the beginning being a barrier toward their love, but ultimately, Juliet’s loyalty lies with Romeo. The feud between the warring families is the foundational problem that caused much of the tension. This problem is best seen in Taylor Swift’s adaptation, in which both scenarios are similar, reflecting how the love, which was real, isn’t accepted among friends and family. This is depicted in the line, “Little did I know that you were Romeo… And my daddy said, ‘Stay away from Juliet!’” This highlights the forbidden love among the lovers and that it was the families that were in fact, separating them. In the play, the lines, “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo,” where Juliet is lamenting Romeo's name, alluding to the feud between their two families. So, Romeo and Juliet’s love was pressured and in a sense limited due to the family feud, which kept them apart and made their love “forbidden,” pushing them to keep their love secret. Since the family feud was built upon hatred, the lovers felt as though they had to keep their love secret in order to satisfy the hatred built against the homes. This is best shown through the Prince’s dialogue, “See what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill
Shakespeare’s work in the today's classroom; a probable outcome for student achievement or too outdated for our modern society? Context in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, including parental pressures, may consociate feelings much like what students today have to deal with. On the other hand, they may not relate to the fact of committing suicide over a loved one. His worked portrays unrealistic aspects to life and predictable plot lines that can be difficult for the modern student to analyze.Challenging students to think differently, creating meaning out of complex texts, and experiencing lives different than their own are vital aspects of learning; therefore, Shakespeare belongs in the classroom. Shakespeare's complex text implemented throughout
Throughout his career, William Shakespeare wrote several plays and a few for which his names still remains to this day. One of those plays that hold this esteemed playwright's name in the light is Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare starts off the play with a prologue that is very useful to the reader and the work itself. The purpose of the prologue is to introduce the reader of the conflict of the play. Interestingly, the prologue also serves to summarize the entire play of Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare effectively does all this in the prologue of his play Romeo and Juliet through various well-placed literary devices.
When speaking to each other alone for the first time, Juliet asks, “wherefore art thou Romeo” (2.2.36). This is Juliet basically asking why he is called his name, Romeo Montague, because this silly name is preventing them from being together. Because there had been generations of hate between both of their families, the actual names of the two made the situation for them involve so much hardship. Something as simple a name, defining someone’s identity, can be the breaking point between long lasting love or
The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet consists primarily of hyperbole. Exaggeration is a `hallmark of comedy. At the very end of the play the Prince said, “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” When Juliet’s dad says, “I’ll give you to my friend; And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets,” he is exaggerating. Certainly her father does not really think she will end up dead in the streets. “His name is Romeo, and a Montague, The only son of your great enemy. My only love, sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! “My life were
Shakespeare and The Brutality of Love Figurative language can say a lot of things about anything. It’s found in plays, movies, books, etc. The dramatic and famous Shakespeare play Romeo and Juliet has a lot of examples of figurative language. More so about; the brutality of love.
“O Romeo, O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” (II.ii.33) In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, it would make sense that love has a positive appearance in the play. However, in Romeo and Juliet, love has a negative connotation. It is implied that love is depressing, death-filled, and the play also has numerous negative metaphors about love.