Romeo and Juliet" A True Aristotelian Tragedy

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A true Aristotelian tragedy is considered to contain characters with one single flaw. Characters such as these display actions that wholly influence the outcome of the tragedy. William Shakespeare does just that in the writing of Romeo and Juliet. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet shall be considered an Aristotelian Tragedy as opposed to a tragic poem. This is true because every aspect of this poem adheres to the definition of Aristotelian. This poem should be considered an Aristotelian Tragedy because Romeo and Juliet committed their own flaw, which causes a chain reaction leading to their deaths. The two lovers are incontestably able to control their actions, yet they simply and eagerly choose not to. This is a decision completely controlled by one’s own self, and it can easily be prevented. In addition, Romeo and Juliet is not considered plainly tragic because in a tragic poem, the outcome is controlled by fate. However, in this suspenseful poem, that is not the case. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an Aristotelian Tragedy because an unexpected couple is unable to control their love, the realization that their coming between a disdainful feud, and their immaturity causes them to take extreme actions.

In this tragedy, Romeo and Juliet display their weaknesses when it comes to love. Romeo and Juliet tend to make poor decisions in general, but especially when it comes to their love. It all started when Romeo saw Juliet for the first time: “What lady is that which doth / enrich the hand / of yonder knight?” (I, v, 40-42). This is when Romeo immediately falls in love, displaying how Romeo tends to fall in love rather quickly, rather than actually getting to know a person first. In essence, Romeo falls head over heels for...

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...ior, a family feud is impossible to overcome, and extreme actions are taken. Romeo and Juliet are a pair of young teenage lovers that do not know what love truly is. They think they are wholly untouchable, and nothing can harm them or break apart their love. In addition, they rely on what is happening at the moment, instead of looking at the big picture. This shows how the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a true Aristotelian one. The characters openly display their flaw, and this is what causes the overwhelming downfall of the characters. In essence, both of them could have found a more cerebral way to approach the situation. If they did so, they would be able to possibly prevent the substantial impact their foolish actions led to. The entire tragedy is not led by fate, but by the fatuous actions of the characters, and their inability to conclude the right choice.

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