William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Type of Work:
Romantic tragedy
Setting
Verona, Italy; Fifteenth century
Principal Characters
Romeo, son of the house of Montague
Juliet, daughter of the Capulet household
Benvolio, Romeo's cousin
Mercutio, Romeo's friend
Tybalt, Juliet's cousin
Lady Montague, the clan's matriarch
Lady Capulet, Juliet's mother
Juliet's ribald nurse
Friar Lawrence, a Franciscan Monk
Story Overview
For a very long time the Capulets and the Montagues had been feuding.
Harsh words often led to violence between the two houses, who were
sworn as deadly enemies. Prince Escalus of Verona happened upon one
such bloody brawl and angrily pronounced, "If ever you disturb our
streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace."
Shortly after this, Romeo and his cousin Benvolio met on the street,
and Romeo sadly confessed his unrequited love for an aloof and
indifferent young woman. "[Give] liberty unto thine eyes; Examine
other beauties," was Benvolio's curative. But Romeo was unmoved: "Thou
canst not teach me to forget."
Meanwhile, as Lord Capulet arranged for the marriage of Juliet, his
fourteen-year-old daughter, to Paris, a kinsman of the Prince, he
advised Paris to woo the girl gently. That night Capulet was to give a
party so Paris could meet Juliet. He called a servant to deliver the
invitations.
Now the servant could not read, so as he walked along he petitioned
Romeo and Benvolio to read the guest list to him. In thanks, he told
Romeo, "If you be not of the house of Montagues, I pray come and crush
a cup a wine." Since Romeo's unreceptive ...
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...erhaps Shakespeare's most famous play, Romeo and Juliet combines the
contrasting elements of humour and sorrow, bawdiness and civil strife,
and innocent love and ignorant hate to rouse an amazing depth of mixed
tenderness and tension. Although a Chorus begins the play by notifying
the audience that these near-perfect lovers will in the end take their
own lives, an irrational sense of hope remains that somehow they might
escape their destiny. But the pride-hardened hatred between the
feuding families leads the play to its inevitable tragic end.
Moreover, though the drama is one of ultimate reconciliation,
ironically, both families lose their only children - neither family
line will be carried on. In a sense Shakespeare is suggesting that war
and hate lead, not to victory for either side, but to spiritual
annihilation.
himself that since Romeo is a Montague he will cause trouble. A few quotes from the
Although they are the basis of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, these main characters are dull, undynamic, and do not specifically appeal to certain readers. Nurse could be considered as a more interesting character because she brings her wit, drama and insight into the plotline.
In all of the best works of literature, each of a writer's characters has a purpose whether the role is small or big. Even if it goes unnoticed, the small characters usually play a key role to the story's plot development. These minor characters also add depth to the story's world and also help in the development of the major characters' personality. In William Shakespeare's play The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the minor characters of Friar Lawrence, the Nurse, and Tybalt are in many ways the most pivotal characters to the play's development.
wither in their pride/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” From
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet At the beginning of the play Romeo and Juliet, Juliet is portrayed as
"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In Shakespeare's plays he very rarely used original ideas. Most of the plays he wrote, such as "Romeo and Juliet," were adapted from other people's stories. Shakespeare used these ideas as basic outlines for his plays.
two families. It was unjust of him to send Romeo away from Verona as a
His love for Rosaline is great but yet she can not say the same and
In the play, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare reveals an underlying message that points to the contrasts between youth and age that are even apparent now today. The youth of society tend to question and then possibly disregard the rules that are important to their parents if they do not have good reason to believe in these rules. The rebellious actions of youth can eventually cause their own untimely destruction. We see today in the headlines many instances where teens have followed their own unguided course bringing about tragic results. Shakespeare shows us in his play how these factors contributed to the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.
The character in the play, Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, that I think has the largest impact on the audience is probably the Friar. Although the Friar might not have that big of a role, he was the one with the plan that got Romeo and Juliet killed. Some people might say that it was Juliet’s fault because she was the one that was so desperate for a plan to get her and Romeo together, the Friar had no choice but to go along. But still, the Friar was the one that came up with a plan. That plan might not have worked for many reasons, but the Friar didn’t think ahead.
William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet I have been studying Romeo and Juliet in class and I have watched a production on television. Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet for an audience used to sixteenth century stage conventions, we must appreciate that these conventions are very different from our own. The Elizabethan theatre was very distinctive, when a play was performed thousands of people would pack inside the theatre, the rich would be able to pay for seats in the stand sheltered from the wind and rain, while the poor had to stand and brave the elements as the theatre had no roof.
forget,' and so we don't expect that by the next act Romeo will be out
The Webster's Dictionary defines "fate" as "Predetermined and inevitable necessity; that power which is thought to determine one's future, success or failure, etc." In William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, his pair of star-crossed lovers (Juliet and Romeo) are fated to meet, fall in love, and take their lives. But does their predestined demise have an equally as important purpose? And, if so, should the Prince's final edict be carried out, and should any of those involved be punished?
Romeo & Juliet Romeo and Juliet is Shakespeare's most popular play. It is the most retold and reiterated since it deals with everyday aspects of life such as love, tragedy, and in particular, family. The roles of parents and "substitute" parents are important in this play. The biological parents of Romeo and Juliet are supposed to act as role models and guides for their children, but ironically, it is the substitute parents, Friar Laurence and the Nurse, who are only seemingly supportive of Romeo and Juliet. Unfortunately, neither the biological nor substitute parents could prevent the tragic ending.