Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy, by William Shakespeare, based on the theme of love. This love is presented in many different manifestations such as infatuation and unrequited love. This play is carefully written to show desires, emotions and family life. To the start of the play Romeo is talking of how his love has been 'vexed' he describes love as being a 'wise madness' a 'deadly poison' and a 'healing medicine'. This type of love he is describing in unrequited love, a love that is not returned, in this case it is not returned by Rosaline whom Romeo believes he is in love with. This love is contrasting to a situation coming about in the Capulet family, Paris'loves' Juliet but his love is not returned. William Shakespeare uses his language and words carefully. Sampson and Gregory talk of sex in a crude nature and speak of women as subordinate. The feuding has turned their minds so much that they would even rape the Montague women. They now do not know what true love is anymore. When in 'love' with Rosaline, Romeo tries to express the fact that love has a fatal power, he talks of two conflicting sides 'is love a tender thing….and it pricks like a thorn'. Benvolio also feels that the cure to solve Romeo's love is to love another: "Tut, man, one fire burns out another's burning". Romeo is the stereotypical Courtly lover who pines for the love of a woman who is unobtainable. Romeo illustrates what was expected of a courtly lover: He stays in sycamore groves," Where underneath the grove of sycamore". He shuts himself away banished from society, preferring night to day, "Shuts up windows…. himself an artificial night", from this we seem to get the impression that Romeo is in love with the idea of being in love. The overuse of these oxymoron's in his speech makes the effect become artificial. "Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health and still-waking sleep'. Romeo wants to be a courtly lover so
In the fair city of Verona, two rival families, the Montagues and Capulets were involved in a nasty family feud that goes back years before any of the members were born. Even the townspeople were involved in the dispute, because the families were always fighting in the streets and causing disturbances. They disrupted the streets of Verona and even Prince Escalus tried to break up the fighting. They were given a warning, by him that another public fight would result in death. While this was occurring, Romeo, (a Montague) the main character, was getting over his last love, Rosaline, and was very upset. Juliet of the Capulet household had just been introduced to a wealthy young man, Paris, whom her parents wished her to marry. Yet she did not love him. Romeo goes to a party in an effort to forget about Rosaline. At this party he met Juliet, and immediately fell in love with her. He later finds out that she is a Capulet, the rival family of the Montagues. He decides that he loves her anyway and they confess their love for each other during the very famous "balcony scene" in which they agreed to secretly marry the next day. Friar Lawrence agreed to marry them in an effort to end the feuding between the families. Unfortunately, the fighting gets worse and Mercutio (Montague) a good friend of Romeo ends up in a fight with Tybalt (Capulet), Juliet's cousin. Tybalt killed Mercutio, which caused Romeo to kill Tybalt in an angry rage. For this, Romeo is banished from Verona. At the same time, the Capulet's were planning Juliet's marriage to Paris. Juliet didn't want to marry this man so she arranges with Friar Lawrence to fake her own death with a sleeping potion that would make everyone think that she was dead. Friar Lawrence promised to send word to Romeo to meet her when the potion wears off and to rescue her to Mantua, where Romeo was currently staying. There they would live happily ever after. Unfortunately, Romeo didn't receive the message on time and upon hearing of her "death" went to Juliet's tomb where he drinks poison and dies. When Juliet's potion wears off, she wakes to find her lover's dead corpse. She then proceeds to stab herself with Romeo's dagger. The two families find the bodies and with their shared sorrow, finally make peace with each other.
Based on the classic Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Roman, Julie, and Friends displays a new theme on becoming friends with children of all genders, even if it is not expected or allowed by their friends. There were many changes made to create a story that resembled Romeo and Juliet but also changed the meaning to a more positive and age appropriate moral. For example some of the original characters are resembled in the remediation, while others were completely new for the purpose of the new plot. The classic play was changed to a children’s book to provide a positive message to children by using pictures and designs that would suit a child’s liking. The design of the book was happy and cheerful, with basic pictures that resemble the words but are similar to the other pictures in the book. The book also uses ethos, logos, and pathos to sell the moral of the story. Ethos is mainly used by the creditability of Shakespeare. While pathos is the ability for the reader to connect with the characters personalities and stories. Logos is used by providing the child realize that friends can be any gender or personalities, but if given the chance a friend can be found in anyone. The target audience is for children around the reading level of 3, with the purpose being the idea that children can become friends with children of any gender.
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
Fate or choice? Choice or fate? How does one separate these ideals? Can one? Shakespeare could not. Nor can we. Fate and choice are so intertwined that our choices determine our fate, and our fate determines our choices. William Shakespeare trusts the audience to scrutinize whether it is fate or choice that rules our human life. Shakespeare aptly conveys this oxymoron (with which people have been dealing for ages) through the evidence and structure of his play, Romeo and Juliet.
is once again brought up by Romeo at the end of Act 1, scene 4 when he
some that I shall show, and I will make thee think thy swan a crow.”
should do now. He says, "Is it e'en so? Then I defy you, stars!" Romeo
Acts 3 scene 1 of the play is a turning point. How important are the
of a fight "let us take the law of our side let them begin" Sampson
A different type of love is seen prior to Scene Five. It is the more
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare The first scene of the two film versions of Romeo and Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli is a very unusual and interesting interpretation of the 16th century play, written by the famous playwright William Shakespeare. Both Luhrmann and Zeffirelli capture the love and tragedy story in different ways. Baz Luhrmann very cleverly manages to weave the past into the present by setting the movie in Shakespearean language and yet giving the film a very modern twist. It is set in, the very heart of a modern American city that is quite threatening and urban. Here crime thrives in the city centre, violence rules the streets and becomes a part of daily life and where people are bred not to reveal their true feelings living a life of fear, chaos and full of illusions.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Many people consider a tragedy to be a play or story, which includes an element of death and disaster, the play Romeo and Juliet fits into this category. With their fate already mapped out, Shakespeare ends the secret love affair of Romeo and Juliet with their deaths. The tragedy has a didactic purpose; Shakespeare wants the audience to learn how to avoid making the same mistakes as the characters. Shakespeare cleverly begins the play with a prologue, which sets the scene for the rest of the play. The prologue tells us about an “ancient grudge” between two families and how only the deaths of “star-crossed lovers”, one from each enemy, could end the feud.
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.
in the bottom of a tomb. ’O God, I have an ill divining soul! Methinks