Romeo and Juliet: A True Tragedy
An Aristotelian tragedy consists of several different aspects. The main characters contain a tragic flaw, or hamartia, that contributes to their fall from esteem. Additionally, the audience experiences pity and fear evoked by Shakespeare for the duration of the play. Next, the characters undergo a catastrophe at the end of the tragedy, in which the characters meet a tragic and horrendous death. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian tragedy because both Romeo and Juliet possess a tragic flaw, a catastrophe takes place in which both characters meet a tragic death, and the audience is aroused with pity and fear.
Romeo’s tragic flaw impetuousness causes him to make decisions quickly, which contributes to his tragic death. Romeo acts with haste when he marries Juliet, not after knowing her for at least twenty-four hours. Juliet tells Romeo, “It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden, / Too like the lightning” (II, ii, 118-120). One can see that even Juliet recognizes Romeo’s impetuousness and questions if they are moving their relationship forward too quickly and hastily. Romeo allows his anger to guide his actions and this gets him into trouble many times throughout the play. One example of this is immediately after Tybalt kills Mercutio. Romeo is so devastated by his friend’s death that he does not think clearly and acts impulsively. Normally, Romeo would not have gone after Tybalt but he is angered by Mercutio’s death and seeks revenge. Romeo regrets killing Tybalt and even he recognizes his flaw when he says, “Oh, I am fortune’s fool!” (III, I, 132). Romeo realizes that he should not have gone and attacked Tybalt and that there are serious consequences. Last but not least, Romeo...
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... feel pity and fear for Romeo and Juliet throughout the play. Undoubtedly, Romeo and Juliet is a bona fide Aristotelian tragedy because it contains hamartia, catharsis, and a tragic catastrophe.
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Thrasher, Thomas. Understanding Romeo and Juliet. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2001.
There are many tragedies to be found in literature, but only a few are like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It is a story of forbidden love in which a young couple are torn apart by their families’ feud in Renaissance Italy; the play’s tragic ending has both main characters die. Many aspects of this play have sparked a heated debate: is Romeo and Juliet a tragedy or is it simply tragic? Some critics claim that the play lacks elements that are necessary for a tragedy. Yet Aristotle explicitly states the essential components of a tragedy in his Poetics, and Romeo and Juliet meets those requirements. Romeo and Juliet can be considered an Aristotelian tragedy because of Romeo’s impetuousness, Juliet’s loyalty to Romeo, and the play’s peripeteia.
An example of Romeo's impulsive behavior was when he chased Tybalt after Tybalt killed Mercutio, which resulted in Tibet's death. Romeo was horrified with what he had done, and expressed that he felt very irresponsible by crying out. "O, I am a fortune fool!" Some may say that Romeo's reactions were only out of love, but does that really make him any less to blame?... ...
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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.
No matter where in the world you are, stories and tales of life and love stimulate different emotions from the bottom of someone’s heart. Various situations of love cause people to feel happiness, sorrow, and even pity. Some stories are realistic, but others are too exaggerated to be real. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is well known by children and adults alike. Although this story is fictional, the tragic love of the two main characters is looked upon many. Though being well known, there is much strife and dispute. One of those arguable views is whether or not the play is an Aristotelian tragedy, or just tragic itself. But Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is indeed an Aristotelian tragedy by the accuracy of the imitation of reality, flaw of the tragic heroes, and the importance of the inferior characters.
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.
... 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).
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, is a well known play. That it is still performed in theaters and English classes to this day. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a play about two star crossed lovers, Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet. They fall in love, despite of the feud between their families. They were forced to keep their love secret because of their families, and they also got married without their families figuring out. This story is still read now because of its strong usage of literary elements. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet endures time because of its expert use of literary elements including foreshadowing, metaphor, and simile.