violence and conflict in romeo and juliet
Violence and Conflict is a central to "Romeo and Juliet". Discuss this theme with reference to at least two scenes in the play.
"Romeo and Juliet" is a tragic play, which is about a feud between two families, Capulet's and Montague. Although it is about love, there are many scenes that contain violence and conflict. The play opens with a fight and ends with death. The violence in the play happens because of an ancient grudge between two families, which leads to the emotional and innocent deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
In this essay I will discuss the themes of violence and conflict, and refer to at least three scenes in the play.
"Romeo and Juliet" was written by William Shakespeare and first performed in 1590. It is set in the 16th century. When Shakespeare wrote this astonishing play, Elizabeth I ruled England. She loved the theatre. People in the 16th century were fond of any sort of entertainment. They liked watching tragedies with lots of action, such as violence and fierce sword fights. It was extremely important for Shakespeare to make his play as exciting as possible, because the audience needed entertaining. An audience in the 16th century would have liked "Romeo and Juliet" because it is a quick story line to get into, and attracts the attention fast, of the young lovers who are doomed from the start.
The first scene: Act 1, scene 1, opens with a fight in a public place in Verona between servants from the Montague and Capulet households. This starts by Sampson and Gregory, servants of the house of Capulet, going out looking for trouble. They later find that they are in luck, as they see Abraham and Balthasar, servants of the house of Montague. Sampson then says to Gregory, "Quarrel, I will back thee" what he is saying is that he will back Gregory "up"; in over words he wants Gregory to go first. Gregory then asks if Sampson is going to "back" him by turning his back and running away. Sampson answers, "Fear me not", meaning "have no fears about me"; Gregory replies. "No, marry; I fear thee!" meaning "no chance I would ever be afraid of you". Not only does Sampson want Gregory to go first, he's worried about getting in trouble with the law that he suggests they let Abraham and Balthasar start the fight. Gregory says he'll frown as they walk by the other two, Sampson has a better idea: he'll bite his thumb at Abraham and Balthasar. Biting the thumb is a very insulting gesture. Sampson then follows through on what he says and begins to bite his thumb as they walk by. Abraham then asks, "Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?" Sampson, looking pretty stupid with his thumb in his mouth, says "I do bite my thumb, sir". and Abraham asks again, "Do you bite your thumb at us, sir?". Sampson still worried about getting in trouble, asks Gregory if the law will be on their side if he says "yes". Gregory tells him it won't, so all Sampson dares do is tell Abraham that he is not biting his thumb at him, but that he is biting his thumb. This is poor, and Gregory's next attempt to get the Montague's to start the fight is pretty weak, as well. He asks Abraham if he is quarrelling with him. Abraham says he is not, and Sampson says, "If you do, sir, I am for you: I serve as good a man as you". Abraham asks, "No better?".
Abraham sees that Sampson doesn't have the guts to say that Capulet is better than Montague. To avoid having to walk away with his thumb in his mouth, Sampson mutters, saying "Well, sir". For a moment, it looks like nothing is going to happen after all, but suddenly Gregory sees a kinsman of Capulet, and tells Sampson "Say 'better,' here comes one of my master's kinsman", this is what he is saying to Abraham because Abraham has dared Sampson to say Capulets is better than Montague, however Sampson doesn't say this until obviously Gregory spots a Capulets kinsman. ...
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Abraham sees that Sampson doesn't have the guts to say that Capulet is better than Montague. To avoid having to walk away with his thumb in his mouth, Sampson mutters, saying "Well, sir". For a moment, it looks like nothing is going to happen after all, but suddenly Gregory sees a kinsman of Capulet, and tells Sampson "Say 'better,' here comes one of my master's kinsman", this is what he is saying to Abraham because Abraham has dared Sampson to say Capulets is better than Montague, however Sampson doesn't say this until obviously Gregory spots a Capulets kinsman. It seems that Sampson and Gregory believe that their master Capulet wants them to fight Montagues, so when they see that a Capulet kinsman is watching, they begin to fight.
Very quickly, the fight escalates in to a riot. Benvolio appears and tries to stop the fight. Crying "Put up your swords; you know not what you do", Benvolio draws his sword to beat down the swords of the four men. But Benvolio has hardly got his sword out of his scabbard before Tybalt shows up and calls out ""What art, thou drawn among these heartless hinds? / Turn thee, Benvolio, look up thy death". "Heartless hinds" are cowardly servants, and Tybalt thinks that Benvolio should be disappointed to have drawn his sword among such poor creatures. Benvolio asks Tybalt to help him keep the peace, but Tybalt answers "What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, / As I hate hell, all Montague's, and thee: / Have at thee, coward!". "Have at thee" is what you say as you attack, and Tybalt attacks Benvolio. Instead of stopping the fight, Benvolio has no choice but to join in. As soon as Tybalt and Benvolio begin to fight, some of the general public, who are sick of both the Capulets and Montagues, decide to join in as well. This is when the town of Verona, gets extremely out of hand, and objects of all kinds are being thrown around from all directions.
Both old men want to go out and join the fight. Montague is admiring his sword, and Capulet is calling for his. These old men might be frightening if they weren't so silly. Montague cant get to the fight because his wife is holding on to him and wont let go. And when Capulet calls for his sword, his wife says sarcastically, "A crutch, a crutch! Why call you for a sword?." In the middle of all this mess comes the ruler of Verona: Prince Escalus, with his followers. Prince Escalus's followers, immediately separates the extreme fight, whilst the prince waits until he is heard. He then goes on, anyone who disturbs the peace in the future will lead to death, after he'd threaten everyone with death, he then takes Capulet with him, leaving Benvolio alone with Montague and Lady Montague to deal with later. Lady Montague then asks where Romeo is, and Benvolio offers to find out what's wrong with him. Seeing Romeo coming, Montague and Lady Montague leave Benvolio alone to speak with their son. Benvolio soon discovers that Romeo's problem is that he love's a woman who doesn't return his love. Benvolio also tries to get Romeo to solve his problem by looking for another woman, but Romeo seems determined to love and suffer.
This scene is important because we can see already, what a few of the main characters are like judging by their reactions and personalities also what they are saying and how they are saying it. We are also introduced into the main situation of the whole storyline, which is that there is an ancient grudge between the two families, because in this first scene there is this Violent fight between the two, this gives us a good idea on how much friction really is between them. Finally we see who is "boss" over words meaning who is the leader of them all, we can clearly see that this is Prince Escalus as he makes a strong entrance into the play with his followers. He lays down his rules to the town, and makes sure that everyone is clear of this. After this being announced, he sharply demands that the Capulets are to come with him. Overall in this first scene it is important because we see violence and conflict taking place in the fight, and the Prince who is the most powerful and controlling character in the play.
The third scene in which there also contains violence and conflict is Act 5, scene 3, which is the scene of the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
The scene begins with Paris and his Page, entering the churchyard at night, to scatter flowers on Juliet's graves.
Paris then demands to his Page "Holding thine ear close to the hollow ground" Paris is saying to his Page, have your ear to the ground so that he can hear the foot steps of any one who approaches. If he does hear anyone, the Page must whistle, as a signal to Paris. Taking the flowers from the Page, Paris sends him away. Now alone, Paris begins by scattering the flowers over Juliet's grave and speaking to her. "Sweet flower, with flowers thy bridal bed I strew". In the middle of Paris speaking to Juliet, he gets interrupted by the pages whistle, Paris then says "What cursed foot wanders this way to-night,/To cross my obsequies and true loves rite?". Then he sees the light of a touch and withdraws into the darkness to observe. Meanwhile Romeo and Balthasar enter, equipped with a torch, a mattock, and a crow of iron. Romeo is in a hurry. He takes the tools from Balthasar as though he is ready to begin work right away, saying "Give me that mattock and wrenching iron", then stops himself remembering that he has something else to take care of before he opens the grave "Hold, take this letter; early in the morning / So thou deliver it to my lord and father". The letter is not to be delivered until "early in the morning" because Romeo wants to be sure he is dead before his father receives the letter explaining why he died. Romeo now has to get rid of Balthasar by telling him a lie an so therefore Balthasar becomes very convinced an says, "I will be gone, sir, and not trouble you", even though Balthasar rightly guesses that Romeo is going to do much more than take a ring from Juliet's finger.
Now alone at the entrance of the tomb, Romeo gets to work, however Paris is looking on, and quickly identifies Romeo. Paris decides to arrest him, he steps out of the dark, an tells Romeo to stop, and says, "Obey, and go with me; for thou must die".
Romeo answers, "I must indeed; and therefore came I hither". Paris meant that Romeo must die for returning from banishment. Romeo then tries as hard as he can to get Paris to leave peaceably. He tries by putting the blame upon himself an even pleading with him, however none of this works. Paris then says again Romeo is under arrest, and Romeo, who only wants to be left alone with Juliet, attacks him. Paris's page seeing the fight runs away to call the watch. Meanwhile, the fight is quickly over and Paris falls. Paris's dying words are a plea to the man who killed him: "If thou be merciful, / Open the tomb, lay me Juliet", remarkably Romeo agrees an says, "In faith, I will". Romeo then picks up the body of Paris, enters the tomb and gently lays Paris near to Juliet, as Paris asked. Now moments from his own death, Romeo pledges his love to Juliet, then suddenly he spots in the corner of his eye the body of Tybalt and makes peace with his enemy by saying, "O, what more favour can I do to thee, / Than with that hand that cut thy youth in twain / To sunder his that was thine enemy?". By taking his own life, Romeo will make it up to Tybalt for taking his. He then goes to Juliet an pledges his love to her and also promises her, "I still will stay thee; / And never from this palace of dim night / Depart again". The last finally minutes before his death he lays himself beside Juliet, then holds the cup up high (containing liquid poison) and says the words, "Here's to my love!", Romeo then drinks. Immediately he feels the poison and says, "O true apothecary! / Thy drugs are quick". In the last moment of his life Romeo says, "Thus with a kiss I die" and he kisses Juliet. then his head drops on her and he is dead.
A moment after Romeo dies, Friar Laurence appears in the churchyard. Friar Laurence hears something, asks who there, and Balthasar steps out of the dark, identifying himself as a friend. Friar Laurence asks, "What torch is yond, that vainly lends his light / To grubs and eyeless skulls? as I discern, / it burneth in the Capel's monument". Balthasar tells him that Romeo is there, and has been for half an hour. Friar Laurence asks him to go with him to the grave, but Balthasar is afraid to disobey Romeo's command to stay away, so Frair Laurence goes alone.
As he approaches the monument of the Capulet, he calls out for Romeo, then saw blood and the swords of Romeo and Paris. Next he discovers the two bodies of the two men who loved Juliet. Juliet, who is beginning to come out of her sleep, Friar Laurence tries to persuade her to come out of the grave by saying to her that he'll find a place for her to live among a sisterhood of nuns, but she's not interested in living, and she dismisses the Friar: "Go, get thee hence, for I will not away". Friar Laurence hears the coming of the watch. Besides Juliet refusing to leave with him, he flees alone.
Now alone with him, she discovers the cup in his hand and immediately understands that he has poisoned himself. She then kisses his lips, "I will kiss thy lips; / Haply some poison yet doth hang on them, / To make me die with a restorative". Juliet realizes that Romeo has no more poison left on his lips, therefore she takes Romeos dagger and stabs herself in the chest. Her last words were, "O happy dagger! / This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die".
After Juliet's death we hear, and see, Paris'Page lead the watchman to the monument of the Capulets. The first watchman, who is in charge, sees that the ground is bloody and sends off the others to search the churchyard and put in custody anyone they find. Then he comes across the bodies of Paris, Romeo and Juliet, he notes that Juliet is "bleeding, warm, and newly dead, / Who here hath lain these two days buried". For the first watchman, this was shocking, and ordered some men to inform Prince Escalus, the Capulets, and the Montagues. Shortly after Balthasar and Friar Laurence are quickly found. The Prince arrives, followed by Capulet, Lady Capulet, and Montague, whose wife had died of grief at Romeo. This death is barely mentioned, and the focus stays on Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence tells his story, then Balthasar, then Paris'Page. Finally, Prince Escalus reads the letter that Romeo intended for his father, and basically tells him the details.
At the very end, out of the disaster comes some good. The Prince makes the feuding families put a stop to the hatred between them he says "Capulet! Montague! / See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, / That heaven finds means to kill your joys with love". Capulet offers his hand to Montague, saying "O brother Montague, give me thy hand: / This is my daughter's jointure, for no more / Can I demand". Montague takes Capulet's hand and promises that he will have a golden statue of Juliet built so that as long as Verona is Verona, " There shall no figure at such rate be set / As that of true and faithful Juliet". Capulet answers, "As rich shall Romeo's by his lady's lie; / Poor sacrifices of our enmity!".
After the two men have promised to raise statues to each other's children, the Prince brings the play to a end saying, "A glooming peace this morning with it brings: / The sun, for sorrow, will not show his head". He tells everyone to leave the churchyard and promises that at another place everything will be discussed and dealt with "Some shall be pardon'd, and some punished", although this situation seems to matter little, "For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo".
This scene is extremely important because it's the final scene of the play, which involves six tragic deaths two Included the star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. They killed themselves to show their true love and their desire to be together without the hatred of their parents keeping them apart. We as audience can see that many things in the story could have changed the tragic ending. One being Friar Laurence's plans to go right and two if Lord Capulet had not decided to change the wedding, then Friar's plans may of worked out causing a change in the dramatic ending. However the plan didn't go to plan an therefore Romeo and Juliet ended up dead which had a big affect on both families of the feud an in a result to that even ended up killing Lady Capulet dure to grief over Romeo. So overall act 5, scene 3 played an very important part in the story because of the hole outcome between the two selfish families.
