“Romeo and Juliet” is one of Shakespeare’s most celebrated and classical tragic dramas where two immature lovers are destined to be together but their households bitter hatred towards one another force them apart. They shortly realize that one can non populate without the other and would instead be dead than unrecorded apart ; so they end up perpetrating self-destruction under tragic fortunes. Shakespeare wrote the drama in 1959 and it was set in Italy. To understand the extent of calamity in this drama. the societal and historical context of the drama and other factors that may hold contributed to the calamity of the drama. are really of import. Most people see tragedy as a sudden unfortunate event. which leaves people sad. disquieted and perchance sorrowing. In a Shakespeare drama calamity is brought to the audience really otherwise.
The definition of calamity would be a black event or catastrophe in which destructive fortunes consequence in the deceases of the chief characters in inquiry. The audience in Shakespeare’s drama is made to experience fright. commiseration. emotion and a sense of a waste and loss of life. Shakespeare delivers this play’s calamity through many factors most of which are brought by destiny and inevitableness and others from those who took portion in the events which lead to the terminal of Romeo and Juliet. His usage of linguistic communication. subjects. imagination. motives and symbols besides have a profound consequence on how he builds up the tragic fortunes in the drama.
Shakespeare enhanced calamity in this drama by the loss of Romeo and Juliet’s intense and passionate love matter. “O. talk once more bright angel. for 1000 are as glorious to this dark being over my caput. as a winged courier of Eden. ” ( Act 2. Scene 2 ) These are the words of Romeo as he stands outside of his darling Juliet’s sleeping room. Having fallen in love at first sight. Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet set the phase for the greatest love narrative in history. Romeo and Juliet are attracted to each other ; she by Romeo’s words. and he by Juliet’s beauty. It has been said that boys autumn in love with their eyes and misss chiefly with their ears. This romantic. but tragic narrative points out in many ways that this thought is realistic and holds true to this twenty-four hours.
Love being the most dominant subject of the drama. has a portion to play in the strength of the tragic events. However. Shakespeare preferred to portray love in a different manner in contrast to the mincing version of the prettied emotion. as he chose the path of a brutal. powerful emotion that captures persons and catapults them against their universe. and. at times. against themselves.
The love Romeo and Juliet portion is blinding and the nature of it is authorising and about violent in the sense that both people in inquiry are prepared to subvert all values. truenesss and emotion. even traveling farther as withstanding their ain names as Juliet famously exclaims in a haste of rapture. “Deny thy male parent and decline thy name… And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” ( Act 2. Scene2 ) . Romeo wantonnesss his friends. Mercutio and Benvelio. at the Capulet banquet in order to travel and run into Juliet in the garden ( Act 1. Scene 5 ) and when Romeo is banished from Verona he returns for Juliet. demoing no respect to the ruler’s determination of salvaging his life by taking to expatriate him from the metropolis alternatively of instant decease ( Act 3. Scene 1 ) .
Shakspere reveals this escalating power of love by depicting it as a signifier of faith from the first meeting of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo describes Juliet’s custodies as being a “…holy shrine” and she refers to him as “…pilgrim” and there is a repeat of “…saints…holy palmers” used to set forward the image of guiltless love flowering as they question the act of touching being a wickedness. Shakespeare’s usage of these spiritual footings portray to the audience how of import love is in the drama for Romeo and Juliet as faith in the Elizabethan epoch was an of import factor of a individuals life.
The poetic characteristics used to depict their first brush like riming and repeat of words such as “…pilgrims…saints…holy shrine” make a harmonious and agreeable ambiance. The beat defines the lovers unifying together. Shakespeare besides describes love as being charming when he says. “Alike bewitched by the appeal of looks” ( Chorus ) . Through the love affair of Romeo and Juliet he shows how love can non be contained and easy understood because of the extent of power it holds. hence. it resists any individual metaphor. Readers are able to understand this when Juliet is unable to uncover the extent of her love for Romeo. “But my true love is grown to such excess…I can non sum up some of half my wealth” ( Act 2. Scene 6 ) .
Love besides plays a portion in deducing force as both Romeo and Juliet consider perpetrating self-destruction ; Romeo when he is banished from Verona and he seeks safety in Friar Lawrence’s cell. he brandishes a knife ready to kill himself because he couldn’t see a life without Juliet ( Act 3. Scene 3 ) and Juliet considers it excessively when told by her parents that she would hold to get married Paris. “If all else fails. myself have power to die” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) . They both even go to the extent of conceive ofing the other dead. Juliet exclaims. “Methinks I see thee… as one dead in the underside of a tomb” ( Act 3. Scene 5 )
Shakspere carries this subject throughout the drama until it becomes inevitable that a dual self-destruction would take topographic point. The tragic pick is powerful and shows the highest grade of showing the intense love between Romeo and Juliet that can merely be preserved through decease ; their love is so profound that they choose to give their lives in an effort to support it. Shakespeare uses the subject of love to portray to the audience that it can convey every bit much felicity as it can convey devastation and in the face of the events during the drama. it does merely that.
Shakespeare’s portraiture of the two households. Capulet’s and Montague’s. were brought to the audience at the really get downing where the hatred and enviousness between the two houses were shown. “Two families. both likewise in dignity…from antediluvian score to new mutiny” ( Chorus ) . Shakespeare doesn’t reveal what the beginning of the wrangle was but it had been traveling on for old ages. Audiences may inquire why the Montagues and Capulets can’t travel frontward and forgive. Blood is sloping in the streets and their kids wind up in an atrocious state of affairs.
What’s the affair with these people? Are they awfully uncaring? The Montagues and the Capulets are venerable households of Verona. and as such they command regard. Even Prince Escalus shows them respect though their longstanding hostility cholers him. The indulgent sentence of Romeo’s ostracism. instead than the penalty of decease. demonstrates the Prince’s willingness to cut the households a interruption. He would non likely extend the same courtesy to a household of lesser stature. But the regard commanded by a baronial household does non give really much penetration into the nature of these parents and their relationships with their kids. Shakespeare leaves those hints in the text.
In merely two scenes in the full drama are all four parents present. The first is the street fight affecting Benvolio. a Montague. and Tybalt. a Capulet. The senior coevals arrives when the conflict is already afoot. Old Montague and Capulet instantly want to come in the disturbance. peculiarly when each sees the other ready to contend. Old Capulet exclaims. “What noise is this? Give me my long sword” ( Act 1. Scene 1 ) and he merely asks for his blade when he sees Old Montague “…flourishes his blade” ( Act 1. Scene 1 ) . Old Montague is speedy to go through on his hatred towards Old Capulet when he calls him a “…villain” ( Act 1. Scene 1 ) .
From this gap Act entirely Shakespeare clearly defines the subject of addition hatred between the two households due to an “…ancient grudge” ( Prologue ) of which neither household retrieve why it had occurred and where it had stemmed from. To set frontward to the audience the folly of both households Shakespeare uses the symbolism of thumb-biting. which was the act of flicking 1s thumbnail from behind his upper dentition. This action had been taken by the retainer of the Capulets. Sampson. who wanted to get down a bash with them. yet didn’t want to be accused of making so due to his timidness. The whole gesture of such an action is used by Shakespeare to stand for the sheer stupidity of the households. The nexus of calamity of this is that they failed to admit their duties at a clip when their children’s feelings and wants should hold been their chief concern alternatively of brooding on such humble affairs.
What is tragic about all these actions and events of the parents’ is that both households really thought they were seeking to assist their kids by maintaining them off from the rival household but they failed to recognize merely how much of an consequence their sour and acrimonious feud had on Romeo and Juliet. Both parents’ had egotistically used their ain desires to destruct the other. wholly ignoring the feelings of those who were concerned. This in bend makes the drama even more tragically sad because of their deficiency of apprehension and compassion for their children’s feelings.
Due to their on-going feud neither leaders of the houses tried to do infinite for peace ; they were all excessively busy in seeking to destruct the rival household. This made it impossible for Romeo and Juliet to hold an unfastened relationship. which meant they had to travel around in secret. The limitation they felt from the fuelling feud made both Romeo and Juliet determined to transport on their matter because for their households their bond would be classed as “completely and utterly wrong” . doing them experience stronger and willing to populate their lives together in life or decease. This added to the calamity of the drama because both Romeo and Juliet were turning up and their relationship was turning stronger and deeper and this is shown by the extent they went to be together and their roseola determination to acquire married proven how despairing they were to be as one.
The Capulet-Montague feud non merely affected Romeo and Juliet but it caused the tragic deceases of those who were non portion of it. The raging hatred Tybalt felt against the Montague’s reached an all clip flood tide when he challenged Romeo to a battle but Romeo refused on the footing of him now related to Tybalt as he and Juliet had married. Alternatively he suggests that they stop their acrimonious competition and embracing each other but Tybalt merely taunts him.
Mercutio can non stand and watch Romeo take such maltreatment and rises to a blade battle against Tybalt which consequences in his decease but before he died his last words were a expletive to both the households. “…a pestilence on both your houses…they have made worms meat of me” ( Act 3. Scene 1 ) . His decease signifies the true world of how deadly the feud was between the two households that it was bing other lives. Romeo shortly ends the life of Tybalt and gets himself banished from Verona. Having heard of this determination by the Prince. Lady Montague dies from heartache. a tragic decease that might non hold happened if the two households had ended their bash. Thereafter. Romeo kills Paris after Paris challenges him to a affaire d’honneur and shortly Romeo and Juliet take their lives. All these deceases could hold been prevented but due to the on-going difference there was no opportunity.
The whole drama was in entire five yearss long. The length of clip adds to the physique up of calamity in the drama. The fact that the drama was so short and in that infinite of clip a entire six peoples lives had come to an terminal – Mercutio killed by Tybalt. Tybalt killed by Romeo. Lady Montague by her heartache over Romeo’s ostracism. Paris by Romeo. Romeo by imbibing toxicant and Juliet by knifing herself. magnifies the calamity even more. One decease entirely could non hold made this drama a calamity but six takes the dip and over the class of merely five yearss. The loss of lives that could hold been prevented makes it more pathetic and the eternal state of affairss and events that should non hold happened and could hold been portrayed in a different manner. adds defeat and weakness.
Early on in the drama. Romeo is distressingly cognizant of the transition of clip as he pines for Rosaline: “…sad hours seem long” ( Act 1. Scene 1 ) . Mercutio is the first to turn to the job of “…wasted time” ( Act 1. Scene 1 ) . and after his ailment. a sudden displacement occurs and clip quickens to rapid motion. Capulet worries that the old ages are go throughing excessively fast. and Juliet realises that her love for Romeo is “…too roseola. excessively unadvis’d. excessively sudden…too like the lightening” ( Act 2. Scene 2 ) . Soon clip begins to help in the devastation of the lovers. Capulet rushes in front the matrimony day of the month. take a firm standing Juliet wed Paris a twenty-four hours early. and therefore coercing her into Swift and. finally. fatal action which lead to her decease. The fast gait in which the drama moved on demonstrates the roseola determinations made throughout the drama and that is forwarded to the audience by Shakespeare.
Another factor which contributed to the decease of Romeo and Juliet was the Capulets. Their indignant and ramping behavior towards Juliet when she refused to get married Paris drew the line for Juliet to earnestly believe about her place. Old Capulet fails Juliet as he contradicts what he had said in the really get downing about her matrimony to Paris. Before he had felt that they should both wait a twosome of old ages so that they could acquire to cognize one another. “Let two more summers wither in their pride. Ere we may believe her ripe to be a bride” ( Act 1. Scene 2 ) and he besides felt that Paris should win over Juliet’s bosom when he says. “…woo her bosom. soft Paris. acquire her heart” ( Act 1. Scene 2 ) . Nevertheless. Old Capulet changes his head and moves it frontward when before he was determined to wait two summers. His roseola and sudden determination of prosecuting Paris and Juliet meant that Friar Laurence had less clip to acquire the missive to Romeo.
Lady Capulet adds to this calamity when she and the Nurse inform Juliet that Lord Capulet had engaged her to Paris. Although she was concerned for her daughter’s heartache over “Tybalt” . when truly she was believing of Romeo. Lady Capulet is outraged to hear Juliet diminution. Likewise. Capulet can non believe that his faithful girl would follow such an attitude. He threatens to disinherit her if she does non travel to the church. “Get thee to church a’Thursday. or ne’er look me in the face” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) However. Lady Capulet’s fury is stupefying. She believes Juliet is better off dead than disobedient. “Ay. sir. but she will none. she give you thanks.
I would the sap were married to her grave” ( Act3. Scene 5 ) Her concluding words on the affair are a dismissal of her ain kid and the audience can feel the insensitiveness from her towards Juliet: “Do as 1000 wilt. for I have done with thee. ” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) . Lady Capulet here demonstrates that she has ne’er had to cover with a wilful kid. Merely when Juliet pretends to travel along with the matrimony to Paris does she win back her mother’s attendings.
Their attitude at the clip was really common for affluent and good known occupants of Verona. Italy as parents normally chose who their kids would get married and the two people in inquiry had no say in the affair. It was besides normal for parents to disinherit their kid if they refused to accept the individual they chose for them to get married. Marriage for misss normally began one time they hit puberty and shortly after they would hold kids of their ain. So Juliet’s matrimony matter was non an exclusion in the Elizabethan clip. It was the parents duty to do certain that their kids married and was known to be their responsibility.
The behavior of her parents scared and upset Juliet even more than she already was with the ostracism of Romeo but it besides made her strong willed that she would merely be Romeo’s no affair what she had to make to be with him. This is clearly shown when she thinks about killing herself if Friar Laurence is unable to assist her in any manner. “I’ll go to Friar. to cognize his remedy…If all else fail. myself have power to die” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) The Capulet’s rough attitude towards their girl pushed her to really believe about perpetrating self-destruction. They failed to understand their daughter’s feelings and inquiry her refusal. which made it more harder for Juliet.
Their intervention proved merely how much they didn’t understand their girls feelings and what she wanted. The calamity of this is that Juliet had become slightly independent in this scene as she had made a determination to decline an confederation which she didn’t want to be a portion of when before she had accepted her parents’ pick. “It is an honor that I dream non of” ( Act 1. Scene 3 ) . Her naivete was vaporizing and she was on the threshold of going ego opinioned and independent but through the Capulets’ fury all that was dashed.
The Nurse’s function in the drama intensifies the calamities of the drama. She is portrayed as being the nurse of Juliet who was responsible for taking attention of her. The Nurse’s sole desire in the drama was to do Juliet happy as she had lost her girl and hubby ; she loved Juliet as a girl. Juliet really seemed much closer to the Nurse than her female parent and this can be noted when Lady Catherine wished to talk to Juliet about Paris she says. “This is the matter…Nurse. give me awhile. we must speak in secret…Nurse. come back again” ( Act 1. Scene 3 ) . Lady Capulet’s words reflect her complete assurance in the Nurse and she realizes that one time she sent out the Nurse that there was nil to conceal from her when Juliet was concerned. that she called her back to the room. Juliet was besides really comfy in the Nurse’s company when she exposes her secret of her love for “…a loathed enemy” ( Act 1. Scene 5 ) .
At foremost the Nurse’s reaction was negative but bit by bit that alterations and shortly Romeo is “…an honorable gentleman…courteous… kind” ( Act 2. Scene 5 ) as she believes that Juliet will be happy and so assists Juliet in acquiring her to run into Romeo every bit much as possible. Even though the Nurse is cognizant of the looming battle of Juliet and Paris she does nil at the beginning to seek and divide and halt the turning fond regard of Romeo and Juliet. alternatively acts as courier because she liked being involved in the relationship. She even goes every bit far as set uping Romeo to come in Juliet’s sleeping room on their nuptials dark. “To fetch a ladder. by which your love Must climb” ( Act 2. Scene 5 ) and even Tells Juliet that she would make everything for their particular twenty-four hours ; Juliet should merely be happy. “I am the hack and labor in your delight” ( Act 2. Scene 5 ) .
However. all that alterations when the Capulet’s decided that Juliet should and will get married Paris. The Nurse is speedy to hold and state Juliet that it is “…best you married the County. O. he’s a lovely gentleman! ” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) . She besides goes onto state how Romeo was “…a dishclout” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) following to Paris and she was better off without him. She had begun to diss Romeo and taken to believing Paris would “…excel” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) her first lucifer. The sense of treachery for Juliet is enormous. Suddenly the name of the Nurse. Angelica. seems to belie her personality because of her hocus-pocus. The individual whom she felt most close to. a friend who was at that place for had now turned against her? It was excessively much to bear as Juliet cried out. “O most wicked monster! ” ( Act 3. Scene 5 ) .
The Nurse’s act of misrepresentation was a great calamity for Juliet and Romeo because they had lost a friend who could hold helped them when they needed her the most ; their flight from Verona everlastingly. The Nurse’s attitude towards Romeo changed because of her belief that a ostracism was a bigamy and wickedness and in the Elizabethan times they stood by that innovation. The Nurse was besides speedy to side Tybalt when she realized that for her. blood was thicker than H2O. Here the sense of loss and heartache is a batch as the audiences see that everything was turning against Romeo and Juliet’s loving confederation ; everything was falling apart. At this point of the drama it seems that all odds are against them and the audience are rooting for them to get the better of the tests and trials. Here there is a echt feeling of the readers experiencing sorry for them and this one factor has a great impact in doing the drama seem so tragic.
Friar Laurence was a cardinal factor in the “…star cross’d lovers” ( Chorus ) when he bound their relationship into a marriage. However. nil that he touches turns out right. Yet. one of his most favorable traits is that he is good intentioned. For illustration. when he says. “In one regard I’ll thy helper be ; for this confederation may so happy prove. To turn you families to rancour to pure love” ( Act 2. Scene 3 ) . This quote identifies Friar Laurence’s exclusive grounds for get marrieding Romeo and Juliet. He believes that through this act the feud between the brawling families might come to an terminal.
However. Friar fails to anticipate the many jobs that could originate from this confederation as he clearly didn’t understand the immense hatred between the Montague’s and Capulet’s. and the turning. deep love of Romeo and Juliet. The length of hatred and love turn out excessively much as the program is a batch to inquire for in a matrimony that was so headlong and really close. Although Friar hopes for a brighter hereafter. he besides acknowledges the fact that the matrimony might turn out to be a awful catastrophe with awful effects. His acknowledgment of a sad stoping brewing is portrayed to the audience when he says. “So smile the celestial spheres upon this holy act. That after hours with sorrow chide us out! ” ( Act 2. Scene 6 ) .
The Friar besides has a good relationship with Romeo and acts as a voice of ground to anneal the lifting calamity from blossoming. Soon after Romeo kills Tybalt he rushes to Friar and grieves over his ostracism. However. he receives no understanding from Friar as he is disgusted at the melodramatic emotions Romeo was demoing. “Art 1000 a adult male? Unseeming adult female in a seeming man” ( Act 3. Scene 3 ) . These quotation marks clearly define how foolish he thinks Romeo is being and reprimands him for being “…unmanly” ( Act 3. Scene 3 ) and reminds him of the fact that Juliet was alive and still loved him. Tybalt had wanted to kill him but he had alternatively killed Tybalt and the jurisprudence had been lenient in merely ostracizing him. However. the unusual advice that Friar gives Romeo is that before he leaves for Mantua. he should see Juliet for his honeymoon dark. For Romeo traveling to the Capulet house would be a decease sentence in the face of the events that had occurred and highly hazardous. Friar’s advice leave the audience inquiring whose involvement he watching out for at this point. Was he looking out for Romeo. Juliet or himself?
Friar Laurence was cognizant of a really of import fact and that was the attractive force of Romeo and Juliet and how fast paced their love affair was as he says. “These violent delectations have violent ends” ( Act 2. Scene 6 ) . Friar believed that speedy passionate and melodramatic love personal businesss end in catastrophe. This may be because the two people in inquiry. Romeo and Juliet. fell in love on the footing of superficial motivations. merely expressions and non common apprehension. For a relationship to develop there must be a sense of understanding between the two people.
Friar might besides be mentioning to the immense hatred of the Montague’s and the Capulet’s which could obviously drive apart Romeo and Juliet. These words reflect how cognizant Friar was of the effects yet. he was foolish plenty to believe that somehow everything would be okay. His short eyesight was a error that he should hold noticed when everything was apparent to see that there were traveling to be drastic effects. The audience are left to chew over over what Friar’s actions might hold done to Romeo and Juliet’s relationship in the long tally.
Another action which Friar takes puts Romeo and Juliet’s relationship under more hazard. was when he encountered Paris and so towards Juliet. Unknowing and instead unwisely Friar encourages Paris to get married Juliet when Paris speaks of his battle to Juliet. “On Thursday sir? The clip is really short” ( Act 4. Scene 1 ) He deceives Paris by non adverting to him that Juliet was already married ; possibly because he didn’t want to uncover the individual who had commenced the ceremonial. He so further deceives everyone by carrying Juliet to forge her ain decease. “Take 1000 this phial. being so in bed. And this distilled spirits drink thou off. When soon through all thy venas shall run. A cold and drowsing temper. for no pulsation. Shall maintain his native advancement. but cessation. ” ( Act 4. Scene 1 ) .
In this quotation mark Friar Laurence is stating Juliet to take the phial and to imbibe it when she goes to bed. This fluid. while traveling through her vena. will do her cold and drowsy and do it look as if she does non hold a pulsation. However. her blood will go on traveling of course and will non halt. It might look that what Friar is making is really baronial because he is put on the lining his ain repute and non to advert life by seeking to convey together Romeo and Juliet. his workss were really doing things worse for them. Couldn’t he as an grownup. as a priest. place the effects of his behaviors. that the opportunity of it working was less than a fraction and so the terminal consequence would be an absolute calamity? To the audience the program of utilizing the kiping potion is a drastic and hideous program. How certain was he that the program would work? Did he even know that the potion might do Juliet trouble physically?
Analyzing Friar’s “solution” shows how his courier. Friar John had failed to acquire the missive advising the potion program to Romeo on clip. was a complete and arrant catastrophe. The worse thing was that before he really found this out he had planned that he would maintain Juliet in his cell whilst Romeo returned. How on Earth was he certainly that he could unbury Juliet on clip before she woke up or be certain that she woke up after the grieving households left? His unpredictable behavior and hideous program intensifies the physique of calamity in the drama. Upon hearing of the message non received by Romeo. Friar is in a province of desperation. “Unhappy luck! ” ( Act 5. Scene 3 ) and exclaims that the events could take to “…much danger” ( Act 5. Scene 3 ) .
Alternatively of taking this roseola determination of doing Juliet take the potion. Friar. at this point of the drama. should hold merely at that place and so confessed the truth to both the households. At least so everyone would hold been cognizant of the fact that Juliet was married ; they could’ve tried to decide the affair with the Prince involved excessively. Possibly the ground why Friar chose non to was because he knew he was in excessively deep and it was excessively late to mount out. Or it could hold been that he knew how to a great extent he was responsible for the events that had occurred and he wasn’t about to set his repute on the line.
His attitude becomes even less appealing when he goes to rouse Juliet but finds Romeo dead. he flees the scene. His action is cowardice after everything that had happened. “Fear comes upon me. I dare no longer stay” ( Act 5. Scene 3 ) . His issue shows how irresponsible he is as he wasn’t even able to confront up to the effects of what his determinations had led to. Through his actions the audience are made to experience that Friar was likely excessively fond of his repute and name in society.
What Friar should hold done was stay put. comfort Juliet when she woke up. convey order and seek to reach the households. The Friar had a batch to be condemned for and a small excused ; excused for the portion of conveying together Romeo and Juliet in an effort to stop the acrimonious difference because his purposes were for a right cause. However. he could hold taken more cautious and responsible actions as an grownup and priest when steering Romeo and Juliet alternatively of lead oning everyone.
Towards the terminal of the drama Friar Lawrence seems like the most to fault due to his actions taken and the audience are besides speedy to acknowledge this. It might be possible that Shakespeare had a ground for puting the incrimination on him as the general attitude towards Catholicism during the reign of Queen Elizabeth was non officially illegal. but any signifier of adept Catholicism was. This regulation meant that it was against the jurisprudence to travel to Mass. to do a confession. to be married by a priest. and to openly pattern the faith.
When looking closely into the historical events it can be known that Catholics were tortured and sometimes executed if they did non subject to the Angelic Church. Equally good as this. a beginning adds that some 32 Franciscans. the order to which Friar Lawrence belonged. were starved to decease during this epoch. Even though Shakespeare smartly avoids an open anti-Catholic attack. it can clearly be understood that the audience of the drama at the clip may hold readily accepted the deduction that Friar Lawrence was to be blamed for the “…star cross’d lovers” ( Chorus ) deceases.
Shakespeare uses the symbolism of the toxicant to add to the calamity of the drama. Friar Lawrence describes the workss. herbs and rocks to hold utilizations for both good and bad ( Act 2. Scene 3 ) . His comment positions toxicant. a natural substance. to be made lethal merely by worlds because of the manner it is used and therefore. it is non wholly evil. Through Friar Lawrence’s words Shakespeare portrays to the audience how relevant this is to the drama as it proves to be right. When the potion was given to Juliet it was meant to make the visual aspect of decease yet. due to the fortunes Friar Lawrence was unable to command. the potion does obviously convey about fatal catastrophe when Romeo commits self-destruction.
This shows how worlds can do ill-timed deceases without even meaning to make so. The potion symbolizes society’s disposition to turn something which is good fatal merely like the futile feud between the Capulets and Montagues that makes Romeo and Juliet’s love toxic. The calamity of this drama is different to Shakespeare’s other dramas like Macbeth. in the sense that there isn’t an evil scoundrel and the fact that the two chief characters die even without a scoundrel. it enhances the tragic events more. In this drama Shakespeare shows how peoples good purposes and qualities can turn to poison by the factors of the universe.
The inevitableness of the subject destiny is besides an added factor to the calamity of the drama. Shakespeare lets the readers and audience know of this from the beginning when he describes Romeo and Juliet as being “…star cross’d lovers” ( Chorus ) . which means destiny has a clasp on them. However. Shakespeare doesn’t make this aware to the audience merely. he brings this forward to the characters when Romeo believes Juliet to be dead he cries out. “Then I defy you. stars” ( Act 5. Scene 3 ) . This indicates that fate and destiny oppose their love and relationship. These weren’t the lone events which fate added the calamity to the drama but the message that Friar John was supposed to direct to Romeo so that he was cognizant of what Juliet was traveling to make. hadn’t reached him because Friar John had been held back in quarantine.
Equally good as this. at the terminal of the drama when Romeo finds Juliet it had happened that he should non wait until Juliet wakes up before imbibing toxicant. Fate had put them into two complete antonym houses in the first topographic point so hence their relationship was under hazard right from the really get downing. These series of events were non mere happenstances but instead a mark of destiny assisting the events lead to the inevitable and ineluctable deceases. However. there is a conflicting side to destine. Romeo and Juliet made their ain picks through out the drama. Romeo went to the Capulet ball despite his forebodings and cognizing that Capulet is a acrimonious enemy. Juliet makes a pick when she discovers that Romeo is her acrimonious enemy she has the opportunity to stop her relationship but chooses non to. Although they made their determinations they may hold been under the influence of “True” love and this could hold been a series of unfortunate happenstances. This relates to Shakespeare’s thought of a calamity where a calamity was non one major unfortunate event but a series of unfortunate events or happenstances.
As the drama progresses. Shakespeare adds many elusive hints that confirm the fact that Romeo and Juliet will decease. These foreshadows can be seen when Romeo experiences a awful feeling that something awful would take topographic point. “With this night’s revels… some despicable forfeit of ill-timed death” ( Act 1. Scene 4 ) ; the warning Frair Lawrence gives to Romeo about hotfooting into things. “Wisely and decelerate ; they stumble that run fast” ( Act 2. Scene 3 ) ; when Mercutio insists that he would be all right after being stabbed. “‘…tis non so deep… ask for me to-morrow. and you shall happen me a grave man” ( Act 3. Scene 1 ) and when Juliet worries that Friar Lawrence’s program might non work. “What if it be a poison… to hold me dead” ( Act 4. Scene 3 ) . Shakespeare uses these elusive intimations to set up to the audience that destiny would seal Romeo and Juliet’s calamity whatever come what may and the calamity is that he besides adds hope by utilizing the Nurse and Friar Lawrence as Romeo and Juliet’s alliances’ .
The Queen Mab address delivered by Mercutio. ( Act 1. Scene 5 ) . plays an of import function in typifying the contrasting dreams and phantasies of love which Romeo and Juliet feel to be existent and echt. Shakespeare lets the audience cognize how Queen Mab delivers dreams which show the dreamer what signifier of dependence they have whether it be greed. lecherousness. force and so forth. Mercutio description of the faery seems wholly fictional and nonsensical and through he Queen Mab imagination he puts frontward his position of phantasies and desires are harmful and can easy be broken merely like the faery who is no bigger than an “…agate-stone” and her chariot “… an empty hazel-nut” ( Act 1. Scene 5 ) .
The usage of space poetries which has a regular beat but doesn’t rime. creates a vivid and colorful image of the Queen Mab. This helps the audience the audience to visualise the fairy’s power of giving dreams every bit good as typifying her power of rousing phantasies and desires. which Romeo and Juliet have fallen in the trap of by believing it to be true. Through Mercutio. Shakespeare reveals another side to the imagination of Queen Mab in doing it cognizant to the readers merely how true his words are after the ruin of Romeo and Juliet. The address given builds up to the tragic terminal through the words and phrases used.
To add to the physique of calamity in the drama. Shakespeare adds other points of positions through characters such as Mercutio. retainers. Nurse and instrumentalists. He portrays their positions otherwise and uses Mercutio as a critic who finds Romeo’s committedness to love to be blinding which deprives him from himself and Tybalt’s devotedness to honor as stupid. Through his Queen Mab address with the usage of wordplaies. he critically breaks down every signifier of passion that is present in the drama and besides openly criticizes the characters splendor and uprightness.
Shakespeare besides puts frontward the less unfastened positions through the retainers ; the Nurse who has lost her babe and hubby. Peter who can non read. the instrumentalists who are more disquieted about their tiffin and rewards and the Apothecary who is non able to do right picks. The universe of those who are baronial like Mercutio. is full of olympian calamities whilst the servants’ universe. in contrast. is distinguished by the simple demands. and fright of early deceases brought approximately by disease and poorness instead than brooding on epicurean passions. Whilst the nobles’ about revel in their ability for play. the servants’ lives are such that they can non afford calamity of the heroic poem sort.
Shakespeare uses the contrasting ocular motive between light and dark imagination or twenty-four hours and dark to reflect upon the deep-felt significance of their love throughout the drama. The contrastive linguistic communication of this motive shows that visible radiation is non ever good and dark is non ever bad. This is why it is non given a peculiar metaphoric significance. During the celebrated balcony scene Romeo speaks at length of the Sun and Moon and uses Juliet as a metaphor depicting her as the Sun. “…Juliet is the Sun. Arise” ( Act 2. Scene 1 ) which takes away the “…envious moon” ( Act 2. Scene 1 ) and alter the dark into twenty-four hours. Mention to visible radiation and dark is besides dressed when Romeo leaves Juliet after passing the dark with her. They both feign the visible radiation to be dark in order to visualise another dark together as Romeo exclaims. “More light and light. more dark and dark our sufferings! ” ( Act 3. Scene 5 )
One of Shakespeare’s most important lingual characteristics in the drama is rhyme. It adds to the tenseness the audience experiences while watching the drama. During scenes where the action of the book brings Romeo and Juliet together. rime is absent. and in scenes where actions tear the lovers apart. the duologue is frequently filled with rime. Since rime is clearly at odds with the action taking topographic point on the phase. audiences of course feel the tenseness this clang creates. In fact. because tenseness is an indispensable portion in the drama. Shakespeare uses rime to non let the audience to get away it. From the first scene that uses rime to depict the destiny of the star-crossed lovers to following scenes that unite the lovers without the usage of any rime. tenseness intensifies within audiences to vouch they ne’er lose sight of the fact that the love between Romeo and Juliet is everlastingly doomed.
All in all. none of these factors in their ain sense were responsible for the decease of Romeo and Juliet. but they all helped to add calamity to the drama. They all occurred at the same time like pieces of a saber saw mystifier and when put together the consequence is tragic. Throughout the drama there are a batch of ‘what ifs’ ; what if Romeo had non gone to the ball? . what if Juliet had stood up to Old Capulet about her nuptials to Paris? . What if Friar Laurence had non agreed to get married Juliet and Romeo and so Juliet and Paris? And so forth. Shakespeare makes it really clear to the readers and audience at the really get downing that the love of Romeo and Juliet was destined to be doomed. It is tragic that both these people had to decease. There were fortunes throughout the class of their lives that led up to their deceases.
If their parent’s had non been feuding and if the Nurse had non betrayed Juliet. the result of this narrative would hold been different. but destiny could non be changed. However. I feel that the deceases of Romeo and Juliet are chiefly Friar Laurence’s mistake due to his unprompted behavior and the picks he made. His first incorrect action was get marrieding Romeo and Juliet cognizing that Juliet was to get married Paris. fuelling the black events in the drama. The Friar’s 2nd error was giving Juliet the phial and that he did non personally direct a missive stating Romeo of their program as he promised Juliet. But through analysing the drama it can besides be understood that factors such as the society they lived in. their destiny and their deep passion of love for each other besides played a immense function in procuring their deceases. In the face of driving out evil and withstanding their households positions Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare remains to be one of history’s most classical calamity of all time to be told.
