Valenzuela City Science High School
A. Marcelo St., Dalandanan, Valenzuela City
A Literary Critique
Literary Focus: Romeo and Juliet
Submitted by:
Paula C. Yap
Submitted to:
Mr. Wilfred Tatoy
March 3, 2013
I. Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of William
Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately
reconcile their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays
during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed
plays. Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers.
Shakespeare did not invent the story of Romeo and Juliet. He did not, in fact,
even introduce the story into the English language. A poet named Arthur Brooks
first brought the story of Romeus and Juliet to an English-speaking audience in a
long and plodding poem that was itself not original, but rather an adaptation of
adaptations that stretched across nearly a hundred years and two languages. Many
of the details of Shakespeare’s plot are lifted directly from Brooks’s poem, including
the meeting of Romeo and Juliet at the ball, their secret marriage, Romeo’s fight
with Tybalt, the sleeping potion, and the timing of the lover’s eventual suicides.
Such appropriation of other stories is characteristic of Shakespeare, who often
wrote plays based on earlier works.
Shakespeare’s use of existing material as fodder for his plays should not,
however, be taken as a lack of originality. Instead, readers should note how
Shakespeare crafts his sources in new ways while displaying a remarkable
understanding of the literary tradition in which he is working. Shakespeare’s version
of Romeo and Juliet is no exception. The play distinguishes itself from its
predecessors in several important aspects: the subtlety and originality of its
characterization (Shakespeare almost wholly created Mercutio); the intense pace of
its action, which is compressed from nine months into four frenetic days; a powerful
enrichment of the story’s thematic aspects; and, above all, an extraordinary use of
language.
II. Author’s Background
William Shakespeare
Early Life
William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord
Chamberlain’s Men Company of theatrical players. Written records give little
indication of the way in which Shakespeare’s professional life molded his artistry.
All that can be deduced is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote
plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict.
Though no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare
was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From
this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date
scholars acknowledge as William Shakespeare's birthday.
Located 103 miles west of London, during Shakespeare's time Stratford-
upon-Avon was a market town bisected with a country road and the River Avon.
William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary
Arden, a local landed heiress. William had two older sisters, Joan and Judith, and
three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard and Edmund. Before William's birth, his
father became a successful merchant and held official positions as alderman and
bailiff, an office resembling a mayor. However, records indicate John's fortunes
declined sometime in the late 1570s.
Married Life
William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway on November 28, 1582, in
Worcester, in Canterbury Province. Hathaway was from Shottery, a small village a
mile west of Stratford. William was 18 and Anne was 26, and, as it turns out,
pregnant. Their first child, a daughter they named Susanna, was born on May 26,
1583. Two years later, on February 2, 1585, twins Hamnet and Judith were born.
Hamnet later died of unknown causes at age 11.
After the birth of the twins, there are seven years of William Shakespeare's life
where no records exist.
Early Works: Histories and Comedies
With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare's first plays
were mostly histories written in the early 1590s. Richard II, Henry VI (parts 1, 2
and 3) and Henry V dramatize the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers, and
have been interpreted by drama historians as Shakespeare's way of justifying the
origins of the Tudor Dynasty.
Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period: the witty
romance A Midsummer Night's Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wit
and wordplay of Much Ado About Nothing, the charming As You Like It and Twelfth
Night. Other plays, possibly written before 1600, include Titus Andronicus, The
Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
Later Works: Tragedies and Tragicomedies
It was in William Shakespeare's later period, after 1600, that he wrote the
tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. In these, Shakespeare's
characters present vivid impressions of human temperament that are timeless and
universal. Possibly the best known of these plays is Hamlet, which explores
betrayal, retribution, incest and moral failure. These moral failures often drive the
twists and turns of Shakespeare's plots, destroying the hero and those he loves.
In William Shakespeare's final period, he wrote several tragicomedies.
Among these are Cymbeline, The Winter's Tale and The Tempest. Though graver in
tone than the comedies, they are not the dark tragedies of King Lear or Macbeth
because they end with reconciliation and forgiveness.
Death
Tradition has it that William Shakespeare died on his birthday at the age of 52,
April 23, 1616, though many scholars believe that The cause of Shakespeare's
death is unknown. Church records show he was interred at Trinity Church on April
5, 1616. Shakespeare's burial is recorded in the Stratford Parish Register as
occurring on 25 April 1616.
In his will, he left the bulk of his possessions to his eldest daughter, Susanna.
Though entitled to a third of his estate, little seems to have gone to his wife, Anne,
whom he bequeathed his "second-best bed." This has drawn speculation that she
had fallen out of favor, or that the couple was not close. However, there is very
little evidence the two had a difficult marriage.
III. Author’s Purpose
It is important to remember that Shakespeare was a professional playwright
who made his living writing plays, and that the whole plot of Romeo and Juliet had
been written long before Shakespeare turned his hand to it. He chose this particular
story to turn into a play, which he wrote and sold to a playing company (or rather
gave to the Lord Chamberlain's Men, a playing company he had a share in).
Some speculations as to why he may have chosen this story to dramatize
include the possibility that because Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy of romance and
both the protagonists die by the time the curtain falls for the last time,
Shakespeare might have written this drama to caution all youngsters prone to fall
in love at the flicker of a smile that sometimes the lovers may have to pay for their
love with their lives. (Although many of his plays have the opposite message)
Another plausible reason might be that his marriage with Anne Hathaway, who was
senior to him in age, was unhappy. This may have turned him into a person who
simply didn't tolerate happy chirping lovers (Although that wouldn't explain all the
plays he wrote where happy chirping lovers get happily married).
He wrote it because he had already wrote comedies act and this was good because
it was a mix of a tragedy and a romance, the story is great and Shakespeare did
well to write it.
IV. Characters
Romeo - The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of about
sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Thought impulsive and
immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He
lives in the middle of the violent feud between his family and the Capulets, but he is
not at all interested in violence. His secretly marries Julie, the daughter of his
father’s worst enemy; he happily takes abuse from Tybalt; and he would rather die
than live without his beloved. Romeo is also an affectionate and devoted friend to
his relative Benvolio, Mercucio and Friar Lawrence.
Juliet - The daughter of Capulet and Lady Capulet. A beautiful thirteen-year-old
girl, Juliet begins the play as a naive child who has thought little about love and
marriage, but she grows up quickly upon falling in love with Romeo, the son of her
family’s great enemy. Because she is a girl in an aristocratic family, she has none of
the freedom Romeo has to roam around the city, climb over walls in the middle of
the night, or get into swordfights. Nevertheless, she shows amazing courage in
trusting her entire life and future to Romeo, even refusing to believe the worst
reports about him after he gets involved in a fight with her cousin. Juliet’s closest
friend and confidant is her nurse, though she’s willing to shut the Nurse out of her
life the moment the Nurse turns against Romeo.
Friar Lawrence - A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civic-
minded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar Lawrence
secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually
bring peace to Verona. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar Lawrence is also
an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.
Mercutio - A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeo’s close friend. One of the most
extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeare’s plays, Mercutio overflows with
imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor.
Mercutio loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite
hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the
latest fashions. He finds Romeo’s romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and tries
to convince Romeo to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.
The Nurse - Juliet’s nurse, the woman who breast-fed Juliet when she was a baby
and has cared for Juliet her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental
character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate
remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the play’s end, the Nurse is
Juliet’s faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliet’s affair with Romeo. She
provides a contrast with Juliet, given that her view of love is earthy and sexual,
whereas Juliet is idealistic and intense. The Nurse believes in love and wants Juliet
to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Juliet would want to sacrifice
herself for love is incomprehensible to her.
Tybalt - A Capulet, Juliet’s cousin on her mother’s side. Vain, fashionable,
supremely aware of courtesy and the lack of it, he becomes aggressive, violent, and
quick to draw his sword when he feels his pride has been injured. Once drawn, his
sword is something to be feared. He loathes Montagues.
Capulet - The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of Lady
Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague. He truly loves his
daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliet’s thoughts or feelings, and
seems to think that what is best for her is a “good” match with Paris. Often
prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage
when either is lacking.
Lady Capulet - Juliet’s mother, Capulet’s wife. A woman who herself married
young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Juliet at close to the age of
fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris. She is an ineffectual
mother, relying on the Nurse for moral and pragmatic support.
Montague - Romeo’s father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter enemy
of Capulet. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about Romeo’s
melancholy.
Lady Montague - Romeo’s mother, Montague’s wife. She dies of grief after Romeo
is exiled from Verona.
Paris - A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by Capulet.
Once Capulet has promised him he can marry Juliet, he behaves very
presumptuous toward her, acting as if they are already married.
Benvolio - Montague’s nephew, Romeo’s cousin and thoughtful friend, he makes a
genuine effort to defuse violent scenes in public places, though Mercutio accuses
him of having a nasty temper in private. He spends most of the play trying to help
Romeo get his mind off Rosaline, even after Romeo has fallen in love with Juliet.
Prince Escalus - The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As the
seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public
peace at all costs.
Friar John - A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news of
Juliet’s false death to Romeo in Mantua. Friar John is held up in a quarantined
house, and the message never reaches Romeo.
Balthasar - Romeo’s dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliet’s
death, unaware that her death is a ruse.
Sampson & Gregory - Two servants of the house of Capulet, who, like their
master, hate the Montagues. At the outset of the play, they successfully provoke
some Montague men into a fight.
Abram - Montague’s servant, who fights with Sampson and Gregory in the first
scene of the play.
The Apothecary - An apothecary in Mantua. Had he been wealthier, he might have
been able to afford to value his morals more than money, and refused to sell poison
to Romeo.
Peter - A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulet’s feast and escorts the
Nurse to meet with Romeo. He is illiterate, and a bad singer.
Rosaline - The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the
play. Rosaline never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she is
very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity.
The Chorus - The Chorus is a single character who, as developed in Greek drama,
functions as a narrator offering commentary on the play’s plot and themes.
V. Setting
There are three evident scenes that occur in public locations that distinctly
have something to do with the consequence of rivalry between the two families in
the play. The violence between the feuding families that arises during these scenes
helps to drive the action forward. The first scene of the play takes place in a public
place in Verona. This scene, from Act 1, presents an argument between two
servants, of both the Capulet and the Montague families, concerning which servants
serve well. Samson, a servant to the Capulets, attacks Abraham, a servant to the
Montagues. Benvolio, Montague's nephew, and Tybalt, Capulet's nephew, both
enter the scene. Benvolio tries to break up the fighting, but Tybalt engages him in
combat. As they fight, Capulet and Montague enter the scene and speak of
drawing swords as their wives protest. Finally, through Escalus, Prince of Verona,
the audience learns that there have been other public brawls recently between the
families.
ACT I: SCENE I. (Verona - A public place)
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords and
bucklers
SAMPSON Gregory, o' my word, we'll not carry coals.
GREGORY No, for then we should be colliers.
SAMPSON I mean, an we be in choler, we'll draw.
GREGORY Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.
SAMPSON I strike quickly, being moved.
GREGORY But thou art not quickly moved to strike.
SAMPSON A dog of the house of Montague moves me.
GREGORY To move is to stir; and to be valiant is to stand: therefore, if thou art
moved, thou runn'st away.
SAMPSON A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any
man or maid of Montague's.
Juliet’s room is where she mostly has a conversation with her nurse. It’s also
the room where she drinks the vial that Friar Lawrence gave her.
ACT I: SCENE III. (A Juliet’s room in Capulet's house.)
Enter LADY CAPULET and Nurse
LADY CAPULET Nurse, where's my daughter? call her forth to me.
Nurse Now, by my maidenhead, at twelve year old,
I bade her come. What, lamb! what, ladybird!
God forbid! Where's this girl? What, Juliet!
Enter JULIET
JULIET How now! who calls?
Nurse Your mother.
JULIET Madam, I am here. What is your will?
LADY CAPULET This is the matter:--Nurse, give leave awhile,
We must talk in secret:--nurse, come back again;
Another place present in the play is where Romeo sneaks into the Capulet's
orchard hoping he might see Juliet.
ACT II: SCENE II (Capulet's orchard)
Enter ROMEO
ROMEO He jests at scars that never felt a wound.
JULIET appears above at a window above
But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,
Who is already sick and pale with grief,
That thou her maid art far more fair than she:
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her vestal livery is but sick and green
And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O, that she knew she were!
She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?
Her eye discourses; I will answer it.
I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:
Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,
Having some business, do entreat her eyes
To twinkle in their spheres till they return.
What if her eyes were there, they in her head?
The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,
As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven
Would through the airy region stream so bright
That birds would sing and think it were not night.
See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!
O, that I were a glove upon that hand,
That I might touch that cheek!
JULIET Ay me!
A neutral place where Romeo and Juliet's worlds overlap is at Friar Laurence's
church. This seems to be the only place Juliet is allowed to go outside of her home,
(for purposes of confessing sins…presumably not to commit them). Friar Laurence
is Romeo's confessor as well. Verona, then, is a setting with a religious –
specifically Catholic – dimension. It is the place where Romeo and Juliet are
married.
ACT III: SCENE VI. (Friar Laurence's cell)
Enter FRIAR LAURENCE and ROMEO
FRIAR LAURENCE So smile the heavens upon this holy act,
That after-hours with sorrow chide us not!
ROMEO Amen, amen! But come what sorrow can,
It cannot countervail the exchange of joy
That one short minute gives me in her sight.
Do thou but close our hands with holy words,
Then love-devouring death do what he dare;
It is enough I may but call her mine.
In Act III, scene 1, Tybalt accosts Romeo's friend Mercutio, and Benvolio in a
public square while they were searching for Romeo. Romeo enters the scene as
they fight. Tybalt tries to provoke Romeo into fighting, but he is now married to
Juliet, Tybalt's cousin, so Romeo does not return his insults. Mercutio takes it upon
himself to defend Romeo and attacks Tybalt. Romeo steps between them, but
Tybalt mortally wounds Mercutio under the arm of Romeo. Seeking revenge,
Romeo attacks and kills Tybalt. The citizens are up in arms over the fighting and
Escalus enters and banishes Romeo to Mantua under penalty of death.
ACT III: SCENE I. (public square)
Enter MERCUTIO, BENVOLIO, Mercutio’s Page, and others.
BENVOLIO I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire.
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not scape a brawl;
For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.
MERCUTIO Thou art like one of those fellows that when he enters the confines of a
tavern claps me his sword upon the table and says 'God send me no
need of thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws it on the
drawer, when indeed there is no need.
BENVOLIO Am I like such a fellow?
MERCUTIO Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as
soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.
Upon killing Juliet’s cousin Tybalt (who killed Romeo’s friend and Prince
Escalus’ kinsman, Mercutio), Romeo is banished from Verona and then to Mantua
until the Prince is persuaded to pardon him. It is where he found out the news
about Juliet’s death.
ACT V: SCENE I (Mantua - A street)
Enter ROMEO
ROMEO If I may trust the flattering truth of sleep,
My dreams presage some joyful news at hand:
My bosom's lord sits lightly in his throne;
And all this day an unaccustom'd spirit
Lifts me above the ground with cheerful thoughts.
I dreamt my lady came and found me dead--
Strange dream, that gives a dead man leave to think!--
And breathed such life with kisses in my lips,
That I revived, and was an emperor.
Ah me! how sweet is love itself possess'd,
When but love's shadows are so rich in joy!
Enter BALTHASAR, booted
News from Verona!--How now, Balthasar!
Dost thou not bring me letters from the friar?
How doth my lady? Is my father well?
How fares my Juliet? that I ask again;
For nothing can be ill, if she be well.
BALTHASAR Then she is well, and nothing can be ill:
Her body sleeps in Capel's monument,
And her immortal part with angels lives.
I saw her laid low in her kindred's vault,
And presently took post to tell it you:
O, pardon me for bringing these ill news,
Since you did leave it for my office, sir.
Finally, Act V, scene 3 takes place in Verona at the Capulet's tomb. Paris is
first seen at the tomb putting flowers on Juliet's grave. Romeo arrives and Paris,
thinking that he is going to take revenge on the Capulets by desecrating the bodies,
threatens to kill Romeo. Romeo gives Paris the chance to flee and when he does
not, Romeo kills him. It is the place where Romeo drinks the vial of poison and
dies.
ACT V: SCENE III. (A churchyard; in it a tomb belonging to the Capulets)
Enter PARIS, and his Page bearing flowers and a torch
PARIS Give me thy torch, boy: hence, and stand aloof:
Yet put it out, for I would not be seen.
Under yond yew-trees lay thee all along,
Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground-
So shall no foot upon the churchyard tread,
Being loose, unfirm, with digging up of graves,
But thou shalt hear it: whistle then to me,
As signal that thou hear'st something approach.
Give me those flowers. Do as I bid thee, go.
VI. Conflict/ Problems and Resolution
In the beginning of the play, Romeo is experiencing heartbreak upon knowing
that the woman he loves doesn’t love him back. Benvolio advises Romeo to forget
the love he has for Rosaline and search for another woman to love and be loved.
When they found out that the Capulets are conducting a gathering, Benvolio
suggests that they both attend so that Romeo might find a better woman that is
more deserving of his love. Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio but only because
Rosaline is coming to the gathering too. Romeo’s dilemma is solved as the feast
begins. Romeo sees Juliet from afar and in a nick of time, he falls in love with her
and forgets everything about Rosaline. The couple fell in love with each other and
Friar Lawrence united them in marriage.
Another conflict present in the play is when Romeo is banished by the Prince
for killing Tybalt who killed Mercutio his loyal friend and his punishment seems
worse than death. He is only allowed one night of passion with his new wife and
this perfect night only makes their parting seem more terrible. The conflict has
taken two victims already, in Mercutio and Tybalt, and now the young couple
become victims too for they can no longer be together. Juliet is desperate to be
with her husband and yearns for him. Also, the conflict of having an arranged
marriage with Count Paris troubles Juliet. Friar Lawrence thought of a solution for
the couple’s dilemma. In order for the marriage between Paris and Juliet not to
happen, he made a potion that will make Juliet unconscious for a few days and
people of Verona will think that she is dead. Friar Lawrence thought that through
that idea he will be able to reunite the couple by informing Romeo about Juliet’s
fake death.
The long-standing rivalry between the Capulets and Montaiges is unraveled
through Romeo and Juliet’s death. Once the two families discover what has
happened with their children, they realize the consequence of their hatred with one
another. Peace is finally restored to Verona but it’s not a cheerful peace for 'never
was there a story of more woe'. As the Prince justly says 'All are punished' and he
refers to the peace as 'glooming peace'. The fire of Romeo and Juliet's love has
'burnt out' but their deaths have finally ended a conflict that has existed for many
years.
VII. Summary
In the streets of Verona another brawl breaks out between the servants of the
feuding noble families of Capulet and Montague. Benvolio, a Montague, tries to stop
the fighting, but he, himself gets involved when the hasty Capulet, Tybalt, arrives
on the scene. When the citizens are alarmed by the constant violence made by the
feuding families, Prince Escalus, the ruler of Verona, attempts to prevent any
further conflicts between the families by decreeing death for any individual who
disturbs the peace in the future.
His cousin Benvolio, who had earlier seen Romeo spending his miserable life in a
grove of sycamores, pursues Romeo, the son of Montague. After Benvolio’s pursuit,
Romeo confesses that he is in love with Rosaline, a woman who does not return his
affections. Benvolio advises him to forget this woman and find another, more
beautiful one, but Romeo remains discouraged.
Meanwhile, Paris, a kinsman of the Prince, seeks Juliet’s hand in marriage. Her
father Capulet, though happy for his daughter, asks Paris to wait for two years,
since Juliet is not yet at the age of fourteen. Capulet dispatches a servant with a list
of people to invite to a masquerade and feast he traditionally holds. He invites Paris
to the feast, hoping that Paris will begin to win Juliet’s heart.
Romeo and Benvolio, who are still discussing about Rosaline, encounter
Capulet’s servant bearing the list of invitations. Benvolio suggests that they attend,
since that will allow Romeo to compare his beloved to other beautiful women of
Verona. Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio to the feast, but only because Rosaline,
whose name he reads on the list, will be there.
In Capulet’s household, young Juliet talks with her mother, Lady Capulet, and
her nurse about the possibility of marrying Paris. Juliet has not yet considered
marriage, but agrees to look at Paris during the feast to see if she thinks she could
fall in love with him.
The feast begins. A melancholy Romeo follows Benvolio and their witty friend
Mercutio to Capulet’s house. Once inside, Romeo sees Juliet from a distance and
instantly falls in love with her; he forgets about Rosaline completely. As Romeo
watches Juliet, entranced, a young Capulet, Tybalt, recognizes him, and is enraged
that a Montague would sneak into a Capulet feast. He prepares to attack, but
Capulet holds him back. Soon, Romeo speaks to Juliet, and the two experience a
profound attraction. They kiss, not even knowing each other’s names. When he
finds out from Juliet’s nurse that she is the daughter of Capulet—his family’s
enemy—he becomes distraught. When Juliet learns that the young man she has
just kissed is the son of Montague, she grows equally upset.
As Mercutio and Benvolio leave the Capulet estate, Romeo leaps over the
orchard wall into the garden, unable to leave Juliet behind. From his hiding place,
he sees Juliet in a window above the orchard and hears her speak his name. He
calls out to her, and they exchange vows of love.
Romeo hurries to see his friend and confessor Friar Lawrence, who, though
shocked at the sudden turn of Romeo’s heart, agrees to marry the young lovers in
secret since he sees in their love the possibility of ending the age-old feud between
Capulet and Montague. The following day, Romeo and Juliet meet at Friar
Lawrence’s cell and are married. The Nurse, who is privy to the secret, procures a
ladder, which Romeo will use to climb into Juliet’s window for their wedding night.
The next day, Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybalt—Juliet’s cousin—who, still
enraged that Romeo attended Capulet’s feast, has challenged Romeo to a duel.
Romeo appears. Now Tybalt’s kinsman by marriage, Romeo begs the Capulet to
hold off the duel until he understands why Romeo does not want to fight. Disgusted
with this plea for peace, Mercutio says that he will fight Tybalt himself. The two
begin to duel. Romeo tries to stop them by leaping between the combatants. Tybalt
stabs Mercutio under Romeo’s arm, and Mercutio dies. Romeo, in a rage, kills
Tybalt. Romeo flees from the scene. Soon after, the Prince declares him forever
banished from Verona for his crime. Friar Lawrence arranges for Romeo to spend
his wedding night with Juliet before he has to leave for Mantua the following
morning.
In her room, Juliet awaits the arrival of her new husband. The Nurse enters,
and, after some confusion, tells Juliet that Romeo has killed Tybalt. Distraught,
Juliet suddenly finds herself married to a man who has killed her kinsman. But she
resettles herself, and realizes that her duty belongs with her love: to Romeo.
Romeo sneaks into Juliet’s room that night, and at last they consummate their
marriage and their love. Morning comes, and the lovers bid farewell, unsure when
they will see each other again. Juliet learns that her father, affected by the recent
events, now intends for her to marry Paris in just three days. Unsure of how to
proceed—unable to reveal to her parents that she is married to Romeo, but
unwilling to marry Paris now that she is Romeo’s wife—Juliet asks her nurse for
advice. She counsels Juliet to proceed as if Romeo were dead and to marry Paris,
who is a better match anyway. Disgusted with the Nurse’s disloyalty, Juliet
disregards her advice and hurries to Friar Lawrence. He concocts a plan to reunite
Juliet with Romeo in Mantua. The night before her wedding to Paris, Juliet must
drink a potion that will make her appear to be dead. After she is laid to rest in the
family’s crypt, the Friar and Romeo will secretly retrieve her, and she will be free to
live with Romeo, away from their parents’ feuding.
Juliet returns home to discover the wedding has been moved ahead one day,
and she is to be married tomorrow. That night, Juliet drinks the potion, and the
Nurse discovers her, apparently dead, the next morning. The Capulets grieve, and
Juliet is entombed according to plan. But Friar Lawrence’s message explaining the
plan to Romeo never reaches Mantua. Its bearer, Friar John, gets confined to a
quarantined house. Romeo hears only that Juliet is dead.
Romeo learns only of Juliet’s death and decides to kill himself rather than live
without her. He buys a vial of poison from a reluctant Apothecary, and then speeds
back to Verona to take his own life at Juliet’s tomb. Outside the Capulet crypt,
Romeo comes upon Paris, who is scattering flowers on Juliet’s grave. They fight,
and Romeo kills Paris. He enters the tomb, sees Juliet’s inanimate body, drinks the
poison, and dies by her side. Just then, Friar Lawrence enters and realizes that
Romeo has killed Paris and himself. At the same time, Juliet awakes. Friar Lawrence
hears the coming of the watch. When Juliet refuses to leave with him, he flees
alone. Juliet sees her beloved Romeo and realizes he has killed himself with poison.
She kisses his poisoned lips, and when that does not kill her, buries his dagger in
her chest, falling dead upon his body.
The watch arrives, followed closely by the Prince, the Capulets, and Montagues.
Montague declares that Lady Montague has died of grief over Romeo’s exile. Seeing
their children’s bodies, Capulet and Montague agree to end their long-standing feud
and to raise gold statues of their children side-by-side in a newly peaceful Verona.
VIII. Social Issue/s Involved
Family feuds and Racial Discrimination – The major conflict between the Montagues
and the Capulets is an evidence of this social issue. Even their servants take
personally the rivalry between these families.
Arranged marriage – In the moment when Juliet’s cousin Tybalt was killed, Capulet
found the opportunity for his daughter to marry Paris. He wanted Paris for his
own daughter. He thought that Count Paris was a perfect match for Juliet.
IX. Theme
Love conquers everything, even hate and death.
X. Recommendation
I would like to recommend to the playwright to lessen obscene scenes wherein
some characters play jokes about the sensitive parts of the body and some of them
long for sex. Since I would like to recommend this piece to young people, it is
inappropriate to use such style of writing for it might pervert and corrupt their
sanity and deprave the essence of this wonderful literary piece. Reducing those
things will discourage youthful lust and encourage the youth to posses a deeper
meaning of serenity, forgiveness, and love.
I recommend this novel to readers and encourage nonreaders to read
Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. I, myself, personally revere this wonderful
literary composition. It has a different approach upon narrating the flow of the
story. An exemplary message towards individuals, specifically young people, was
engraved in it. As said in the author’s purpose, Shakespeare have written this
drama to caution all youngsters, prone to fall in love at the flicker of a smile, that
sometimes lovers may have to pay for their love with their own lives. Also, in this
tragedy, love is emphasized as it overcomes everything even death and hate.
Though it’s said to be a tragedy, I still found it as a story with a happy ending. The
happy ending is not for Romeo and Juliet but for their families. The couple’s death
was not in vain. Despite the intense rivalry between the Capulet and Montague
families, the passionate love of Romeo and Juliet made a difference. The lovers’
deaths made their families reconcile. In this world we live in, most of us experience
downfalls and discouragements. Reading this piece might give us a bigger
perspective in life that might give us the drive or motivation to live life with
something to fight for and something to live for. That motivation will inspire us to
do something we would never thought we could. Like Romeo, we must have
something or someone to live for and if possible something or someone to die for.
This literary piece will encourage us to be passionate in life, to be forgiving, to
pursue what our hearts desire, and to love our fellowmen.
