Romeo and Juliet a True Aristotelean Tragedy
Aristotle defines a tragedy as “an imitation of an action that is serious, complete, and of a certain magnitude”. However, it is his claim that a story must contain six parts in order to be a tragedy that causes much controversy. Many critics argue that William Shakespeare does not follow the guidelines for a tragic story in his famous piece Romeo and Juliet. Their main argument is with the way he presents his tragic elements. But as Lois Kerschen says, “Shakespeare may have altered the classic form of the Greek tragedy, but that does not mean he totally ignored the Greek formula”(261). It is his strong emphasis on certain elements that prove his case. Shakespeare’s contribution of harmatia, catharsis, and anagnorisis to Romeo and Juliet prove the story to be a true Aristotelean tragedy.
The final tragic moment in the story serves as an inevitable consequence of character flaws. One of Shakespeare’s most palpable tragic elements in this play is harmatia. Both Romeo and Juliet contain an overriding, single flaw that causes the downfall of the play. The intensity of Juliet’s love for Romeo is the only blemish of the young girl. Nevertheless, a single blemish leads to devastation in a tragedy. This extreme love causes her to go against her family and make decisions that come to harm her: “I’ll to the Friar to know his remedy./ If all else fail, myself have power to die” (III, v, 243-244). Juliet goes against her family solely for one reason; she is averse to marry Paris because of her extreme love and loyalty to Romeo. Her opposition to Paris causes her to make the decision to die which brings about the tragic ending. Furthermore, Romeo also contributes to bringing about the tragic end...
... middle of paper ...
... play. The story follows all of Aristotle’s guidelines and therefore must be viewed as a true Aristotelean tragedy: “for there never was a story of more woe/ then this of Juliet and her Romeo” (V, iii, 309-310).
Works Cited
Kerschen, Lois. “Criticism on Romeo and Juliet.” Drama for Students. Vol. 21. Ed. Anne Marie
Hacht. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 258-261.
McManus, Barbara. “Outline of Aristotle’s Theory of Tragedy.” CLS267: Greek Tragedy. 2
April 2008. College of New Rochelle. 19 May 2010.
/bmcmanus/poetics.html>.
Moulton, Richard G. “Innocence and Pathos: The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.” Drama for
Students.Vol. 21. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Detroit: Gale, 2005. 271-273.
Waters, Douglas D. “Catharsis in Romeo and Juliet.” Bloom's Notes: William
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Ed. Harold Bloom. Broomall: Chelsea House, 1996.
69-70.
3 Dec. 2013. Kerschen, Lios. A. A “Critical Essay on ‘Romeo and Juliet’. ” Drama for Students. Ed.
Decker, Pamela. "Romeo and Juliet." Theatre Journal 62.4 (2010): 681-3. ProQuest. Web. 18 Apr. 2013.
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. McDougal Littell Literature. Ed. Allen, Janet, et. al. Evanston, IL: McDougal Littell, 2008. 940-1049.
Romeo & Juliet Romeo and Juliet was a tragedy, but it did not have to be. Many things could have been done to prevent their deaths. Many characters contributed to their deaths. The sole character that was responsible for their deaths is Friar Lawrence. Friar Lawrence is responsible for the deaths of the lovers because he was secretive with their relationship, he was unable communicate effectively, and he had a cowardly persona.
Romeo and Juliet is widely known to be a tragedy, but what caused the atrocity for which it is so renowned? Some may argue fate was to blame for Romeo’s and Juliet’s deaths, that the situations these young lovers faced were depicted as being out of their control. Could Romeo have refused to attend the Capulet masque? Was Romeo destined to duel the raging Tybalt? Did Romeo and Juliet truly have to kill themselves? If one considers the specific circumstances and causes of these situations, the fact that all scenarios are the result of choice rather than chance, and the notion that the characters were never left without options, only one conclusion can be determined. It was unarguably the decisions made by characters, not those made by fate, that were responsible for the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet.
“Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, still-waking sleep, that is not what this is” (Shakespeare 1.1. 179-180). A string of contradictions explain the love story of Romeo and Juliet, a contradiction. Some critics consider this story a tragedy because Shakespeare once wrote; “the fault is not in our stars but in ourselves”. While others say it does not follow the standard Aristotelian form of tragedy (Krims 1). Romeo and Juliet can not be a tragedy because no flaw causes them to fall, the lovers, could not have controlled fate, and family and friends assisted them to their deaths.
The story of Romeo and Juliet had many tragic, yet meaningful events that somewhat constructed what we know today as, “The tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet.” In fact, all of those ‘tragic yet meaningful events’ are all the deaths of Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet. All of the tragic, meaningful events show what theme the story portrays. Romeo and Juliet itself is a well-known so called ‘love’ play/story, but when you really ‘dig deeper’ into it you will soon come to realize that it is more of a death play than a love play. Romeo and Juliet could be considered more of a death play than a love play because, majority of the events that happened were violent and the violence resulted in death; the only two people who showed ‘love’ throughout the story was Romeo and Juliet. It is clearly shown that death brought nothing but sorrow, sadness, and problems to Romeo and Juliet from beginning to end. Analyzing the story, it is obviously shown that death is written all over Romeo and Juliet, and that all the deaths of certain characters formed Romeo and Juliet itself. Therefore, with that being said, the theme that will be most strongly portrayed is death.
Othello has been described as one of William Shakespeare’s most popular plays because the play focuses on its themes of good and evil, military, politics, love and marriage, religion, racial prejudice, gender conflict, and sexuality; but the controversy and debate surrounding Othello is “Why is Othello a qualification for a tragedy?”
...ay for years, believing it was a play about love, but the way Shakespeare wrote the play it is far from a love story. As Romeo moved from Rosaline to Juliet, for the simple fact that he believed Juliet is more beautiful than Rosaline, gives the perfect example that the play is based on desperation. Juliet says to Romeo, showing her desperation, “Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow / that I shall say good night till it be morrow” (II ii 188-189). When Romeo and Juliet say they cannot spend another night away from each other, it sets a perfect example of obsession in the play. Even Romeo knows he is anxious to force love when he says, “Th’ exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine” (II ii 127).
Watts, Cedric. Twayne's New Critical Introductions to Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1991.
< http://callisto.gsu.edu:4000/CGI:html> (5 May 1997). Rozen, Leah. "William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet."
An Aristotelian tragedy includes many different characteristics. It is a cause-and-effect chain and it contains the elements of catharsis, which is pity and fear, and hamartia, which is the tragic flaw embedded in the main characters. The famous play Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is about two lovers of two different families who hate each other and the misdemeanors they have to surpass. Many debate on whether it is an Aristotelian tragedy or simply tragic. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet should be regarded as an Aristotelian tragedy because catharsis is exhibited in the play, Juliet’s blindness of love is shown, and Romeo’s impetuousness is the tragic flaw that leads to his demise.
Works Cited:.. Shakespeare, William. The. Romeo and Juliet. Eds. Maynard Mack and Robert Bayton.
All in all, Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian tragedy because of the characters, plot, and the fact that it triggers the emotions of pity and fear. All these concepts are outlined by Aristotle and need to be present in a tragedy. Because, all of the aspects of an Aristotelian tragedy are present the play is truly a tragedy. The tragedy has the perfect characters that experience an anagnorisis, peripeteia, and catastrophes. In short, Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian tragedy.
to light that it is a false death. Romeo rushes to her side to murder