In this essay I will describe how contrast is used to heighten the drama in Romeo and Juliet I will consider the characters, language and the situation and come to a conclusion on how effective this is throughout the play.

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               In this essay I will describe how contrast is used to heighten the drama in Romeo and Juliet I will consider the characters, language and the situation and come to a conclusion on how effective this is throughout the play.

Romeo and Juliet is a love story that ends in tragedy. It is set in Verona and Mantua in Italy, in the late 16th century, it was written by William Shakespeare. Verona at this time was very exotic, image was everything, wealth was shown in the way people dressed and spoke, Verona was the head of the spice world; it was a very wealthy town. There were many arranged marriages in Verona at this time, the most common age to marry was 14. The parents decided whom their daughters married, and girls did not leave their houses without a chaperone. In the 16th century women had practically no rights, the men were in charge of the money and if the husband in a family died the money would then be passed to the eldest son not the wife.

There are many characters in Romeo and Juliet, the most important characters from the Capulets are: Juliet, Capulet, Lady Capulet, Tybalt and the Nurse. The most important characters from the house of Montague are: Romeo, Montague and Lady Montague. The other important characters that aren’t in any of the families are: Escales who is the Prince of Verona, Mercutio who is a kinsman to the Prince and is Romeos’ friend, Paris who is also a kinsman to the Prince and wants to marry Juliet, Friar Lawrence who is a Franciscan priest, and Benvolio who is Romeos friend.                        

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               The Capulets and Montagues are two families that live in Verona, for years they have been enemies. Their children, Romeo (a Montague) and Juliet (a Capulet) fall in love with each other. In secret they get married. When Romeo tries to end the rivalry between the two families his best friend Mercutio is killed by a Capulet called Tybalt who is Juliet’s cousin. In revenge Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona. Friar Lawrence, the person who was responsible for marrying the two lovers, devises a very dangerous plan so the lovers ...

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