Tragedy Of Love And Death In Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a play about the woeful tragedy of love and death of the title characters. Romeo and Juliet fall madly in love at first sight, despite the long-standing rivalries between their families. But Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other slowly spirals out of controls, as one by one, their friends and family, including, Tybalt, Mercutio, and Paris, perish as a consequence of their love. The ingredients that make up Romeo and Juliet are young love, feuding communities, bitter hate, and tragic and undeserved death. The play begins and ends with violence, chaos, and confusion encompassing Verona. Before the action of the play even begins, Shakespeare foreshadows the death of Romeo and Juliet, “The fearful passage of their

Tybalt, feeling insulted after Romeo, challenges Romeo to a duel. However, unbeknownst to Tybalt, Romeo and Juliet’s love has progressed so far since their meeting at the Capulet feast, that Romeo and Tybalt are now family. Romeo, desperate to avoid a fight, tells Tybalt, “Tybalt, the reason that I have to love thee / Doth much excuse the appertaining rage / To such a greeting.” (III.1.63-65). Romeo’s use of the word “excuse” underlines that Romeo sees his love of Juliet as more valuable than his honor. In the society in which the play is set, it was a matter of great shame and humiliation to reject a duel. Yet, Romeo was able to jeopardize his honor and respect for his love, a decision that eventually led to the untimely death of Mercutio. Mercutio, in disbelief that Romeo rejected the challenge, steps in to save Romeo’s reputation, “O calm, dishonorable, vile submission!” (III.1.74). Mercutio’s harsh language, such as “dishonorable” and “vile”, demonstrates the incomprehensibility of Romeo’s actions. Romeo later acknowledges his shortcomings, “Thy beauty hath made me effeminate / And in my temper softened valor’s steel” (III.I.119-120). The word “effeminate” suggests a weakness and unmanliness, caused by his love for Juliet. Romeo’s courage and disposition is described as “softened steel”. Steel is incredibly strong and

Paris loved Juliet, and Capulet promised to marry his only daughter to him. But on that pitiful day, Paris’s love passed away, supposedly out of grief for her cousin Tybalt. “This is that banished haughty Montague / That murdered my love’s cousin, with which grief / It is supposèd the fair creature died, / And here is come to do some villainous shame” (V.3.49-52). Paris’s use of the words “love” and “fair” to describe Juliet, symbolize the intense love Paris had for Juliet. Paris also criticizes Romeo, calling him “haughty” and “villainous”. Paris’s increasingly negative language exemplifies the effect love has had on Paris. Romeo murders Tybalt, and so Paris attributes Romeo to the death of Paris. When Paris halts Romeo, he condemns Romeo, “Stop thy unhallowed toil, vile Montague. / Can vengeance be pursued further than death?” (V.III.54-55). Paris’s anger and rage is exemplified in his language, using “unhallowed toil” and “vile” to describe Romeo. Paris sees Romeo as wicked, evil, and believes it to be an injustice that Romeo has come to Juliet’s grave. It further proves that Paris incorrectly believes that Romeo was the cause for Juliet’s “death” and that he has returned to do more damage. Thus, Paris approaches Romeo at Juliet’s grave, eventually resulting in his tragic death. Paris falls victim of his own love as it causes