William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
In William Shakespeare's sorrowful play Romeo and Juliet, there are
some very good questions pertaining the story. The one most readers
and viewers discuss is "Who is responsible for the lovers' deaths?".
The problem in Romeo and Juliet is precisely that no one gets off
being uninvolved in Romeo and Juliet's tragic end. It would be too
easy to lay the blame on one person or another and we need to study
the level of implication of each of the characters before drawing a
premature conclusion.
After analysing the different angles of each character's
"contribution" to the fateful destiny of the two protagonists, I will
demonstrate the meaningful importance of such factors as Fate, Time
and Nature.
To study this question correctly, we have to begin with the widest
factor contributing to the tragic end of the play: the era it takes
place in.
The popularity of Romeo and Juliet today is largely due to the theme
it treats, that is, love without chronological or geographical
boundaries. Thus, Shakespeare's play has been adapted various times in
a modern context, the West Side Story for example.
However, the medieval period where the story takes place plays an
important role in the tragic end. We can imagine parents would be much
more understanding today of their children's love. We can also presume
that Romeo and Juliet wouldn't have to rush into marriage. Juliet
wouldn't be thrown in an arranged marriage. Finally, in our times,
authorities (represented in the play by the Prince of Verona) would
have probably already stopped the feud and acted against the
outmeasured hatred of the two...
... middle of paper ...
... cause of Romeo's and Juliet's deaths,
we would have to define "cause". At the first extension, it's the
strength of the poison and the sharpness of the knife that cause the
death of Romeo and Juliet. At a further extension, it's the failure of
Friar John to deliver the essential letter to Romeo telling him of
Friar Lawrence's plan. Beyond that
it might be Juliet's enforced marriage to Paris. Beyond that it could
be the enmity of the families of Montague and Capulet. And beyond
that, there are the causes of this quarrel, and so on. Romeo and
Juliet is one of the most carefully plotted of Shakespeare's plays,
making you constantly ask questions about cause and effect. Perhaps
it's because the causes are so many and complex that I chose to lay
primal blame on the 'inauspicious stars', on their 'star-cross'd'
lives.
In William Shakespeare's sorrowful play Romeo and Juliet, there are
some very good questions pertaining the story. The one most readers
and viewers discuss is "Who is responsible for the lovers' deaths?".
The problem in Romeo and Juliet is precisely that no one gets off
being uninvolved in Romeo and Juliet's tragic end. It would be too
easy to lay the blame on one person or another and we need to study
the level of implication of each of the characters before drawing a
premature conclusion.
After analysing the different angles of each character's
"contribution" to the fateful destiny of the two protagonists, I will
demonstrate the meaningful importance of such factors as Fate, Time
and Nature.
To study this question correctly, we have to begin with the widest
factor contributing to the tragic end of the play: the era it takes
place in.
The popularity of Romeo and Juliet today is largely due to the theme
it treats, that is, love without chronological or geographical
boundaries. Thus, Shakespeare's play has been adapted various times in
a modern context, the West Side Story for example.
However, the medieval period where the story takes place plays an
important role in the tragic end. We can imagine parents would be much
more understanding today of their children's love. We can also presume
that Romeo and Juliet wouldn't have to rush into marriage. Juliet
wouldn't be thrown in an arranged marriage. Finally, in our times,
authorities (represented in the play by the Prince of Verona) would
have probably already stopped the feud and acted against the
outmeasured hatred of the two...
... middle of paper ...
... cause of Romeo's and Juliet's deaths,
we would have to define "cause". At the first extension, it's the
strength of the poison and the sharpness of the knife that cause the
death of Romeo and Juliet. At a further extension, it's the failure of
Friar John to deliver the essential letter to Romeo telling him of
Friar Lawrence's plan. Beyond that
it might be Juliet's enforced marriage to Paris. Beyond that it could
be the enmity of the families of Montague and Capulet. And beyond
that, there are the causes of this quarrel, and so on. Romeo and
Juliet is one of the most carefully plotted of Shakespeare's plays,
making you constantly ask questions about cause and effect. Perhaps
it's because the causes are so many and complex that I chose to lay
primal blame on the 'inauspicious stars', on their 'star-cross'd'
lives.