In the tragic and striking play Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers fall zealously in love through courses of conflicts and feud. Preceding Act 2 scene 2, the two adolescents of opposing families meet at a celebration; Romeo falls fanatically in love at first sight with Juliet. Romeo and Juliet are both devastated as they find out their identities after the part. Fortunately, Romeo is not disturbed by this discovery as he later sneaks into Juliet’s garden. In this excerpt, Shakespeare reveals Romeo to the audience as an obsessive lover with his great use of imagery, and effective figures of speech. He shows his affection admiring Juliet’s beauty by creating a passionate mood for the audience and revealing signs of themes (II.ii.2-25).
In the play, Romeo and Juliet, directed by William Shakespeare, two young, star-crossed lovers cannot be together because their families, the Capulets and the Montagues, have an ancient feud. Their children, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, fall in love and are married, while keep it a secret from their parents. Through a chaotic series of events, Mercutio, a kinsman of the Prince, is killed by Tybalt. Angered by the death of his friend, Romeo murders Tybalt and is banished to Mantua, a nearby and isolated town. Juliet, grieved by this news, goes to the Friar to seek help and they formulate a plan to bring Romeo back to Verona, Juliet will drink a potion that will make her appear dead and Romeo will meet her in the Capulet vault. Due to miscommunication, Romeo thinks that Juliet is dead, so he drinks poison he purchased from an apothecary when he meets her, and Juliet stabs herself when she awakens and finds Romeo’s dead body. By utilizing the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare portrays the differences between appearances and reality by using the marriage between Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio’s Queen Mab speech, and hidden meanings .
“Blessed is the influence of one true, loving human soul on another.”
-George Eliot
Romeo and Juliet is a play about young love, loss, and the bond between friends and family. Throughout the course of the tragedy, each of the characters influence both Romeo and Juliet in one way or another. Although many of those characters have some kind of hold on the naive Juliet, they have a stronger hold on the somewhat credulous Romeo. This sway that they have over Romeo causes him to make several decisions that are rash and impulsive.
Shakespeare plays have fascinated audiences with their ability to seemingly portray the depth of the meanings and descriptions of each scene. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was for many years the world’s best love story and influenced readers and writers from around the world. Understanding the contrasting natures is one of the most important themes in this play and underpins the plot. Love and hate, life and death, lastly, missions and reality will only increase every reader’s sense of curiosity.
Romeo and Juliet is the tragic story of two young, “star-crossed” lovers from feuding families, destined for disaster. The Capulets and the Montagues have an ancient grudge on one another that has been passed down over generations. Unfortunately, Romeo and Juliet end up victims of their families’ vicious loathing. Romeo and Juliet’s story has several intertwining themes such as the aforementioned hatred between the Capulets and Montagues and the revenge Romeo strives for after his friend Mercutio’s death. Also, the love and passion between Romeo and Juliet and the loyalty of Romeo and his friends. Honour and revenge also feature frquently throughout the play including Juliet’s pressure to honour her family, and the revenge Romeo sees as his duty when Tybalt kills Mercutio.
Juliet’s character, motivated Shakespeare content, to form a fair and unbiased idea, despite the Elizabethan era relating woman in a low social and political position. Within the script, Shakespeare pushes against the boundaries, established by the law, to create an overwhelming agency and immaturity character, restricted beyond women’s control. Her haste to enter a union of the unknown, displays her determination, rather than realising her life is in danger. In doubt of her multiple sacrifices Juliet offers, her dominance toward Romeo should be classified common, but instead Juliet desire to fulfil true happiness overshadows her concerns and worries of their fatal destiny. Indeed, normally men have been in control, however, in a new dimension of Romeo and Juliet, rules do not apply to the limit of influence sought through society. In resignation of this scenario, in the following text, it will be based on the characters' behaviour, background and themes,
Despite being set in the 14th-15th century, Romeo is similar to a modern day teenager: idealistic, immature, and always looking for love. When he hears of Rosaline’s decision to remain chaste, it “...lengthens Romeo’s hours” (I. i. 168). A dark storm cloud lingers around his head until he
Shakespeare in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet depicts the conflict between fate and free will through use of his characters’ actions and beliefs. Fate is the main driving force between the demise of the two main protagonists. Because of it, superstition, the actions of others, and the idea of chance are allowed a main role in the play building up to events that lead to a tragic end.
Aristotle proposed what is believed to be the first definition of a true tragedy. Specifically, he states that a tragedy triggers great pity and fear caused by the main characters’ actions alone. Likewise, a true tragedy lacks coincidence and fate plays little in the overall play. William Shakespeare writes the play of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in which the audience knows the destiny of these two tragic heroes from the very beginning. Although this play is tragic knowing that the lives of two lovers are lost, it is not a tragedy as Romeo and Juliet are not solely responsible for their own deaths. Destiny is determined through the hands of greater forces than that of Romeo and Juliet, making this play merely tragic and not a true tragedy. Therefore, the play of Romeo and Juliet is not a tragedy as coincidental events, the role of fate, and Romeo and Juliet’s numerous tragic flaws are what ultimately cause the outcome of this play.
From the very beginning of the play, we know this story is a tragedy, not only because it was written by Shakespeare but also the narrator gave a summary at the beginning of what to expect. Why was it a tragedy though? It seemed like such a normal story: boy meets girl, they marry and live happily ever after. So what was it that made this story so different from its contemporaries? One thing could be how dramatic everyone was, how that caused the six deaths at the end of the play. Another might by the adults- one in particular that set the scenes in motion.