Analysis of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
'Romeo and Juliet' was a play written by William Shakespearein 1595.
William Shakespeare died on St. George's day, 23rd April, 1616, making
'Romeo and Juliet' one of his earlier plays; written in what is now
described as his second period, from his joining the Lord
Chamberlain's men in 1594 to the opening of the Globe Theatre in 1599.
The diversity of Shakespeare's work included comedies, histories and
tragedies as well as poetry. 'Romeo and Juliet' comes under the
category of a tragedy, tragedy meaning an event in which something
dreadful occurs, or in a theatrical sense a serious play with a tragic
theme, often involving a heroic struggle and the downfall of the main
character. This definition of tragedy relates to 'Romeo and Juliet'
because it is a play in which both the principal characters die in
preventable circumstances at the close of the play. The downfall of
Romeo and Juliet occurs by the fact that both characters start as
young, beautiful descendents of powerful families and find themselves
fleeing the city of Verona in fear of their lives and their
relationship - both banished by the authorities or their own
households.
However, an alternative view could be developed by looking at the
perception of the word tragedy when the play was written; in the late
16th century. People of the time were of the view that if something
tragic were to happen it must happen to a person of innocence,
otherwise it is not technically tragic. Romeo is not an innocent
person because he takes the life of another person on more that one
occasion, with the murders of Tybalt and Paris. Even th...
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...point. Romeo uses the word 'he'
to imply God. He is therefore saying that God is 'steering' the course
of his life; his life being the ship on which he talks about the sail.
William Shakespeare uses the imagery of ships to symbolise life
because people of Shakespearean times would be able to relate to it.
The fact that somebody else, God, is determining the course of his
life means that he is totally out of control of it himself which in
turn shows us how Shakespeare wants us to understand 'Romeo and
Juliet'.
I believe that nobody can be individually blamed for Romeo and
Juliet's deaths; they were made to suffer by a vicious feud between
two households that, along with many other small interventions, caused
the dramatic, brutal and sadistic climax to the play. I believe that
Romeo and Juliet were victims of fate.
What makes scene 4.4 in Romeo and Juliet unique is the way in which the dynamic between the public and the characters is handled. The people in the audience are put in a situation where they know more than the characters on the stage. Apart from the spectators the only other person who knows that Juliet is not actually dead, but just appears to be, is Friar Laurence. Shakespeare is well aware of the possibilities that this situation presents him with and uses them to enhance the scene and give it a second layer of meaning. He contrasts the joy of his characters in the beginning of the scene with their sadness at the end with his use of caesuras and repeated words in different types of situations.
to look after your child. It was a show of wealth, so that if you have
Someone once said, "All literature shows us the power of emotion. It is emotion, not reason that motivates characters in literature." This means that all literature is an expression of emotion and it is the emotion that is the main character, and often the setting and theme as well. It is not the reasoning within the story that draws you in, but rather how the story deals with the emotions we all have felt. It provides us with a possible scenario of the impact of focusing only on emotion and losing focus on reason. The power of emotion driving literary characters to see their emotions through, make us wish we could feel so strongly about something or someone and the way we would all like to think we would see our emotions through. Atticus Finch, from the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee, and Romeo Montague from Shakespeare's drama, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, both are driven only by their emotions. Both are so driven to see their powerful emotions, no matter what might happen to them, that their emotion and the opposite emotions of everyone else around them becomes the main character, setting and theme in these stories. You are drawn in to the emotion by asking would I have the courage to stand up to my home town full of racism to seek justice for a black person as Atticus did in To Kill A Mockingbird? Could I be so in love, as Romeo was, that I would be willing to give up everything I had, my family, my position in society, even my own life, for the love of another person?
In the play Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, the three characters who are to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet are Friar Laurence, Lady Capulet, and Lord Capulet.
of a book a person may want to know what’s the basic outline of the
What makes a piece of literature relevant or irrelevant to a society? There have been many debates on the relevance about particular pieces of literature, especially old literature, in the modern day. Their relevance can be judged by how they address issues happening in society when they were written compared to those same issues today. It can also be judged on whether the themes present can apply to the modern day. And even if a story portrays issues that are either resolved or irrelevant today it can still have value on how it portrays human nature The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a relevant work for a person in modern times due to its themes on suicide, human recklessness, and violence and revenge.
Romeo is the only son of Lord Montague, the head of a reputed and rich
Romeo changes throughout the book. When Romeo went to the Capulets party, he was in love with Rosaline. He saw Juliet and immediately loved her. In act two scene two it Romeo says this about Juliet, "Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes To twinkle in their spheres till they return." He compares her eyes to stars in the night sky. Romeo talks about Juliet and is wanting to talk to her. This shows how Romeo is loving and sweet. In the last act of the book Romeo sees Juliet dead in the tomb. She is not really dead, but he doesn't know that. He kills himself so he can be with her in heaven. Romeo is a very loving person, but in one scene he turns into a very hateful person.
In act one scene three of Romeo and Juliet Lord Capulet states “…She hath not seen the change of fourteen years. Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride.” This means that Juliet is not quite fourteen years old and her father is not sure if she is ready to become a wife and mother. There are many differences between how people marry today, and how they married in the time of Romeo and Juliet. Some of the differences are when the people marry, why people marry, and also the level of maturity people marry at.
Accidentally, incidentally, unintentionally, intentionally; no one ever really knows, but we are for certain one thing: “the heart isits own fate.” For Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet, two star-crossed lovers in Shakespeare’s masterpiece play ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ this holds especially true. Romeo and Juliet’s “misadventure piteous overthrow” is fueled by their love for each other and their determination to be together, no matter what. Romeo and Juliet’s love with stands the hate surrounding them. Thus, fate is undoubtedly the most responsible influence for the two young lovers’ heartbreaking tragedy.
Scene 1 Act 1:Scene one opens with a fight on the streets of Verona between servants from the Montague and Capulet households. While attempting to stop the fight, Benvolio is drawn in by Tybalt. The heads of both houses (Montague and Capulet) arrive on the scene. Prince Escalus arrives and stops the fight, forbidding any further brawls.
unclean.” and at the end of the play "For never was a story of more
Through the flaws in the characterization of his characters, Shakespeare allows their weakness to manipulate and cloud their judgment. This fundamentally leads to the outcome of Romeo and Juliet, with each weakness presenting a conflict that alters the characters fate. Being especially true with the star-crossed lovers, William Shakespeare leads their perfect love into tragedy with these conflicts. In Romeo and Juliet, Juliet, Friar Lawrence, and Tybalt all contribute to conflicts that enhance the plot. From destructive flaws in their characterizations, Juliet, Friar Lawrence, and Tybalt are all consequently controlled by their weakness, therefore affecting the outcome of the play.
'Romeo and Juliet' is a play written by William Shakespeare. The play is about Romeo, a member of the Montague household, falls in love with Juliet, a member of the Capulet household. As the two houses are involved in a feud, they were not allowed to be together, but their deaths finally bring their family’s quarrel to an end. The personal weaknesses of the central characters are somewhat responsible for the tragic outcome of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. These are weaknesses shown by the main characters of Romeo and Juliet, mainly their emotions and love towards each other, which contributes to the tragic outcome. However, the personal weaknesses of Capulet and Montague are more responsible for the tragic outcome, because they have hated each other deeply for centuries, and would never have allowed Romeo and Juliet to marry no matter what. In this essay, the personal weaknesses of the central characters who are somewhat responsible for the tragic outcome: Romeo, Juliet, and Mercutio, will be explored.
of Tybalt's death. He felt that he fell into one of fate's many cruel games