Clearly, you can see that this story contains lots of romance and tragic events. However, which is more important? Firstly, I will discuss the idea of love.
It is important to understand that marriage in the times of Romeo and Juliet being written was very different to today’s western standards. Firstly, girls were expected to marry at very young ages such as 13, in Romeo and Juliet, Juliet herself was only 13 we learn this when her father states, “she has not reached change of 14 summers”. Secondly it was common for young girls to be involved in arranged marriages, Juliet’s parents wish for her to marry Paris, much against Juliets wishes. Finally the men that the men were expected to marry were of high birth, meaning that they are important. The nurse describes Paris as “gallant and noble”. Juliet was against marrying Paris, this was unusual for girls of this period as she was defying her parent’s wishes.
It is within this play that some of Shakespeare’s most vivid beautiful and poetic language is used. All this adds to the sense of romance. Throughout the play, Shakespeare uses a style of writing that is very similar to a sonnet. This was a style of poetry that Shakespeare was famous for; a sonnet was a type of love poetry that was 14 lines. The prologue to Romeo and Juliet, which begins
Two houses holds both in like in dignitary
In fair alone were we lay our scene
This is in a style of a sonnet. Further examples of sonnets can be found in there speech.
Through reading the play I have highlighted two key scenes where I think that the theme of love is most potent, these scenes are act 1 scene 5 and act2 scene 2. The first being when they first meet and the second being when he returns to her while she is on the balcony.
In act 1 scene 5 the Romeo has arrived at the Capulet ball be leaving that he is in love with Roselyn however this changes when he sees Juliet, he states “her cheeks would shame even the brightest of stars” it is clear to the reader that she is beautiful and lights up the room. The couple continue to ‘flirt’ and there language clearly shows there is an attraction. Dramatically the scene ends with them discovering their identities.
In act two scenes 2 the audience introduced to perhaps the most famous scene in the play. Dramatic irony is used when Juliet asks “Romeo, o Romeo wherefore art my Romeo” when he in fact is standing just below her balcony. Once again, there conversion centres on their mutual attraction, concluding with the surjection of marriage.
It is because of the strength of there relationship that the ending is even more tragic. The audience feels that their love is wasted. This I feel is not the only tragic event in the play. Even from the prolong we learn of there death when it states, “ two fatal loins take there life”. Romeo himself seems to be typical of a tragic hero. The tragic hero has several characteristics
- He is of high birth
- He has many positive qualities
- He has one weakness
- This weakness brings about his down fall
- Innocent people suffer
- Audience feel a sense of wastage
This applies to Romeo, he is from one of the important families of Verona, his positive qualities include loyal, good looking and passionate, his weakness is his obsession with love, which is the primary cause of his death, the innocent people that suffer are his family, friends and the audience feel a sense of wastage when he dies.
I personally do not feel that you could say Romeo is fully responsible for the tragedy in the play. I would blame Juliet for going along with it all, the family for the feud and the friar for both marrying them and coming up with the plan.
Despite all the characters it seems that the tragic ending was always going, to happen as the theme of fate is also relevant. It seemed written in the stars that the two characters would have a tragic end.
In conclusion, I will discuss whether I feel love is tragic or successful. On the one hand, it would be easy to say that it is tragic because of their death however; Shakespeare is included one final scene, which makes me think otherwise. In the final scene, the audience learn that the two families come together in there grieving, this was something that both the state and the church failed to achieve, in this sense you could say love was successful.
I personally feel that the tragedy was the most relevant issue today. As love in the play seems dated to the time of its writing.