One of the reasons that the works of Shakespeare are so renowned is simply for the fact that he can beautifully create moments of happiness, sadness, glory, agony, misery, love, betrayal – and anything else which may fall In between (Krause 09). There are numerous situations in real life In which one person may fall deeply In love with another, but it will eventually turn out that it was never to occur in the first place. When it comes to Shakespeare, love is never meant to blossom in the plays Romeo and Juliet, and Othello.
In the very first act of Romeo and Juliet, for example, we learn that there is a feud teen the Montague and the Capsules. Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene) From Ancient grudge break into new mutiny (Act I Sc l). Romeo and Juliet fall instantly in love with each other. But, because of their families hatred, their happiness and youth are wasted. Juliet receives a marriage proposal from Paris, and agrees that she will consider marrying him If she Likes him. After falling In love with Romeo however – at first sight, she learns as he leaves that he is a Montague.
She is struck with as much horror as e is after he finds out that she is a Caplet. It is just a little while later that Juliet delivers her famous speech: “O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? … O, be some other name! What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. ” (Act II Sc II). Passion it is of course, but that contaminated term has in our day become helpless to express it. Purity would be the perfect word for it if the world had not forgotten that purity is simply Greek for fire (Krause 17). Juliet later discovers that her father has arranged for her to marry Paris In three says.
She refuses to do so, and her father Is furious over the fact that his daughter Is so proud and ungrateful. She then turns to her mother – but her mother refuses to listen to what she has to say. In desperation, she turns to the nurse for advice, and even the Nurse believes that Juliet should marry Paris, because Romeo was banished from Verona and is not likely to return. Juliet realized that everyone is against her, so she turned to Friar Laurence for help. The Friar knows of a sleeping potion that Juliet would be able to use that would fool her family to believe that Juliet is dead.
Juliet decided to use that potion on the very night that she is to wed Paris. When the family finds Juliet “dead’, the Friar says that they must arrange for a burial and carry Gullets body to the church. After Romeo (then In Mantra) learns that Juliet Is dead, he buys some poison and Intends to kill himself In the vault where Juliet lies. Paris Is In the vault when Romeo arrives, and he assumes that Romeo is there for evil purposes. The two men then Juliet in her tomb, and swallows the poison after giving her a last kiss. He instantly dies, and Juliet wakes up shortly thereafter.
After she realizes that Romeo is dead, she takes his dagger and stabs herself with it. It is then that the families reconcile – when it is too late. Statues were to be made in honor of the lovers. Cynics are fond of saying that if Romeo and Juliet had lived, their love would not have lasted (Krause 24). There is also numerous instances in Othello in which it is evident that love was never meant to blossom between Othello, and his wife Desman. Abortion is the father of Desman. He regrets the fact that he allowed Desman to marry Othello, who Just happens to be a Moor.
He realized that he would have rather let a unsustainable man named Ordering take Deacons hand in marriage. Othello is accused of using witchcraft on his wife, and it is said that he is probably abusing her as well. However, when Desman is questioned, she admits that she has fallen in love with Othello and married him on her own will. Abortion is furious when he hears his daughters confessions, and he practically disowns her. He then turns to Othello, and says “Look to her, Moor, if thou hast eyes to see. She has deceived her father, and may thee” (Act I Sc Ill). Then there is the notorious villain, Ago.
He came up with a plan to make it seem like Desman was cheating on Othello with his friend, Michael Cassia. Ago feels hatred towards Othello because he passed him over, and promoted Cassia for a position. Ago also had suspicions that Othello may have been having an affair with Emilie (Lagos wife), and for that he wants get revenge on Othello. Shakespeare gives Ago an outward appearance of honest virtue and has Othello consistently call him “Honest Ago. ” (Krause 56). Ago has the tendency to be very convincing and manipulative. He manages to make none off of Ordering by offering foolish advice followed by a great deal of logic.
After much talk, Ordering is even convinced to sell off his land, so he can have a lot of money in his hands to get the attention of Desman. It is safe to say that Ago is very much like the devil himself (Krause 62). This is evident in his soliloquy at the very end of Act l. He reveals to the audience that he wishes to abuse Othello ear, and blacken Cassias name as well. Ago also tends to compare people to animals, such as when he says, “The Moor is of a free and open nature that thinks men honest hat but seem to be so, and will as tenderly be led by the nose as asses are. (Act I Sc Ago does indeed poison Othello ears by convincing him to view the friendship between Desman and Cassia under a negative perspective. At a party, he gets Cassia to drink an excessive amount of liquor, which makes him drunk. At one point as Cassia gets in a fight with another person, Othello walks in, and Ago makes him take Cassias position away from him. Ago then goes over to Cassia and acts as if he is a friend to him. He tells Cassia to request Desman to convince Othello to give Cassia his position back. Desman agrees to do so, but all in a very innocent manner.
Since Ago has plagued Othello mind with false thoughts, Othello gets furious overtime that sleeping, and begins to snap at Desman over the slightest things. Eventually, Othello smothers Desman, and kills her. Emilie discovers what has happened, and cries out till Ago arrives. She then reveals the fact that Ago is a villain, and Ago kills her. Othello realizes that he has made a mistake, and kills himself, and Ago gets executed. The love stories in Romeo and Juliet, and Othello start off very nicely, but unfortunately end with tragic deaths.
