ADOLESCENT LOVE
The beginning of this play tells us that Romeo is in love with a girl called Rosaline. Rosaline however does not have the same feelings for Romeo which causes Romeo to be very down. The first impressions we get of Romeo is that he is more sensitive. The fact he is so confused about love. He believes he is in love but wonders why he is not enjoying it. This is unusual and not expected of men in the time this play was written. Love is spoken of differently by different people, both older and younger. Benvolio, Romeos cousin tells Romeo that he may think he is in love to be warned “Alas that love, so gentle in his view, should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!” (Act 1 Scene 1 line 168-169). Meaning that although the idea of love looks and seems good, the experience can be cruel and heartbreaking. He encourages Romeo to move on and look at others. Mercutio also goes on to make fun of Romeo. He mocks the idea of love and talks with no respect for women. He also tells Romeo to be a man and treat love as love treats you. “If love be rough with you, be rough wit love”, (Act 1 Scene 4 line 27). For women it is viewed in those days that Ladies from good families are known to be married young and to be honored to be asked by a wealthy man. That ‘women grow by men’ (nurse, Act 1 Scene 3, line 95) meaning that by marrying a man you also grow in status, which is what comes first and loving them second. Lady Capulet, Juliet’s mother encourages Juliet to marry describing and comparing her partner to a perfect book, meaning he is a wealthy young man, but he is incomplete and that Juliet is the ‘golden clasp’ that will complete the perfect book, (Act 1 Scene 3). Although these views are held by most men and women in Verona it seems that Romeo and Juliet don’t agree and see love differently. From Juliet’s response “I’ll look to like, if looking liking move. But no more deep will I endart mine eye then your consent gives strength to make it fly” (lines 97 – 99). It suggests that Juliet believes that if what her mother says is true about Paris then she looks forward to liking him, but only if what she sees she likes will she allow herself to get involved. And with Romeo, although his family thinks he is a fool for the way he is acting about love, he ignores this and sets out to prove them wrong. Although Romeo was initially going to seek Rosaline, his feelings soon changed when he saw Juliet. This suggests Romeo’s lack of experience with what true love is and suggests he is in love with the idea of being in love and wants to find out more.
When Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time they are both mystified by the feelings they experiences. Before they know that each of them is from the families at enemy with each other, Montague and Capulet, both of them find themselves to already be in love with each other. At this point you would think that because of their family backgrounds they should ignore what has just happened and go their separate ways, but they don’t! Although Romeo and Juliet initially deal with this news in different ways in the end they both make the decision to continue to see each other. When Juliet finds out who he is she goes to her room thinks about her feelings for Romeo. Her frustration and confusion as to why he has to be a Montague, and the fact that he is means they can not be lovers and that if they were then she would be turning her back on her family (Act 2 scene 2). Again here you would think that the right thing to do is walk away and forget about Romeo but then she questions what is a someone’s name, what importance does it have? If he were not called Romeo, if he were not a Montague then he would still be the perfect man that she met that night. When Romeo finds out that Juliet is a Capulet, instead of walking away he puts his life in the hands of the enemy. He is clearly aware that he is putting himself in danger when he says “o dear account, my life is my foes dept” (Act 1 Scene 5, line 17). Romeo instead of leaving to return home turns and goes round to the Capulet house, (Act 2 Scene 2). By these actions, you could say that he is being foolish. He knows nothing good can come of this and although it is Romeo that makes the first decision to act on his feelings Juliet does not resist. Their Loyalties should lie with their families but by making the decision to pursue a relationship; their families obviously do not mean that much to both Romeo and Juliet as they do with the rest.
At the beginning of this essay it was discussed how much fate and coincidence was responsible for Romeo and Juliet’s death. Here we can discuss how much of what happened causing them to die was their own fault. Were Romeo and Juliet responsible for their own deaths due to their youthful haste and passion? Romeos decision to go to the party in the first place and there decisions to meet again and marry even though they new this was against both fathers will. However, if it was true love that they both experienced which is worse, living your life unhappy or following your heart knowing there is a possibility that there will be trouble ahead. Therefore is it fair to say Romeo and Juliet were responsible for their own deaths? If they did not have to sneak around, if they could have been honest about their feelings for one another, would they have been able to live happily? Therefore were the deaths the result of their parents, an ancient grudge that still continues to grow.
FEUD
This play is full of different kinds of disorder, quarrels, fights, and violence of angry passion. Straight from the opening of the play there is bad behavior between the servants of Capulet and Montague, (Act 1 Scene 1). This is obviously the way of life and this way of life has already been set from both Capulet and Montague. These two families’ struggle for power in Verona and because of this even the young men spring to violent and bloody action in defense of their families / masters. And although there is anger, bitter, hatred between one another there is evidence that some seem to be more aggressive and eager to fight than others. When Tybalt a favorite nephew to the Capulet’s arrives at the scene and asks why Benvolio he is trying to stop the fight he sees his actions as cowardness and challenges him to a fight. “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate that word, as I hate hell, all Montague’s and thee. Have at thee coward!” (Act 1 Scene 1 line 68-70) Tybalt’s loyalties to his family make him very arrogant, and seem to be the cause of a lot of the violence. How he looks for Romeo to fight him because he had turned up at the Capulet’s feast. And even thought Romeo, especially now that he is married to Capulet’s daughter tries to stay clear of fighting is forced to do so. Because he is sworn to secrecy he is unable to say why he does not want to fight and because of this Mercutio a good friend to Romeo believes his actions to be dishonorable to his family “O calm, Dishonorable, vile submission!” (Act 3 Scene 1 line 74), he challenges Tybalt and dies. It seems to me that as long as there are lies and hate there will be more fights, more violence and more blood! There is no way Romeo can stay clear from his rivals, his rivals being Juliet’s family and so the two lovers will always be torn. If the two fathers, Capulet and Montague resolved their differences then because of the influence they hold over those under them, Tybalt would never have been looking to kill Romeo, there would have been no fight. Juliet would never have to choose between her family and her lover; she would have never had to take the poison, would Juliet have ended up dead? However, Tybalt, Mercutio and the rest of the young boys in Verona are only doing what they believe is to be right. What they have been taught so is it fair to say it is totally their fault.
FATHERS
Verona is a patriarchal city and Capulet and Montague both have high reputations, high dignity and are well respected (Act 1 Scene 2). As fathers they hold virtually absolute sway over their daughters. Marriages are arranged in the time of this play and as pointed by a view held by the nurse a well bread young lady should marry a wealthy man (Act 1 Scene 3). It is the fathers though that may choose to give them away to whoever they please, and feel deeply insulted if their daughters dare choose otherwise. Juliet is asked to consider marriage at the age of 14, not with someone who she finds herself to be in love with but with someone who wants her and her parents feel is suitable because he is wealthy. Together with patriarchy there is a lot of macho behavior amongst young men and very little respect towards women, and no concept of the true meaning of love. Unknown to everyone else though Juliet has her own understanding of what she believes is love and shares this with Romeo. So when Capulet gives permission for Paris to marry his daughter, Juliet refuse’s. She tries to explain to her father in a very tactful way suggesting her fear of him, that although she is grateful for the thought she does not see how she can be grateful of being forced to marry someone she hates, (Act 3 Scene 5 lines 146-148). This only angers Capulet who forces Juliet to accept the marriage or he will disown her showing his authority, “To answer I’ll not wed, I cannot love, I am too young, I pray you pardon me – but and you will not wed, I’ll pardon you. Graze where you will, you shall not house with me” (Act 3 Scene 5 lines 186-189). Pride goes above all good judgment as he takes no consideration of Juliet’s feelings. Juliet’s Fear towards her father is proven by unhappily accepting the marriage. But she is so deeply unhappy about this she seeks help from Friar Lawrence to help plan how her and Romeo can be together.
CONCLUSION
Fate means that there is a set path for everyone, however where and how you get there is up to you as you will always end up the same place. Therefore you could argue though that if both Juliet and Romeo were destined to die then they would have died by other means. By this I mean that if it is said in the stars that they are to die at this time in their lives then this would have happened anyway regardless of the decisions they made by marrying and running away. And this may have meant they died unhappily, at least this way they shared what few moments in love they had together. However it does not suggest that all the decisions made to get to where you are destined to go are down to the stars. Sometimes it is just the luck of the draw if something goes your way, it’s a coincidence! I believe a lot of the time what happens is down to the decisions you make, it is your choice made from your own judgment on the situation at that time. Romeo and Juliet made decisions based on what they believe to be true to them. Can you call someone a murderer for that? A lot of what they did and why they did it was because of the hatred among the two families, Montague and Capulet. If the fathers could have not been so proud, if a ‘ancient grudge’ could have been resolved earlier, if the attitude of love was more important than dishonoring their families then Romeo and Juliet may have felt they could have declared their love for one another before it was too late.
I agree with Romeo ‘if it was meant to be then it will be’ but I feel there is no way we can possibly say that it is fate that is responsible for their deaths, nor is their any way we can change coincidence, there is no way of proving this. Although a lot of the coincidences that happened were unfortunate, at the end of the play, (Act 5 Scene 3) both Capulet and Montague realise that it was their feud which has led to the tragedy and agree to abandon all hostility. Even though I believe it was a combination of reasons, I agree with this the most.
Romeo and
Juliet
By
William Shakespeare
At the end of the play who or what do you feel is the most responsible for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet
English Coursework
By Mira Kudiarskyj
21st/11/2004
