Consider the characters of Romeo and Juliet and explain how the description of ”a pair of star-crossed lovers” presents their relationship appropriately

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G.C.S.E Shakespeare Coursework

Romeo and Juliet

Consider the characters of Romeo and Juliet and explain how the description of ”a pair of star-crossed lovers” presents their relationship appropriately

The play Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story set in Verona, Italy. Juliet belongs to the Capulet household and Romeo to the Montague, both households are as respected as the next but they have been quarrelling for many years. The description  ‘a pair of star crossed lovers’, describes their relationship appropriately because it means they were destined to die; their fate was to die.

The play starts with servants from the Montague and Capulet houses brawling in the streets.  The Prince then forbids brawling in Verona, punishable by death.  We then see Romeo talking to Benvolio about how ‘head over heels’ in love he is with Rosalyn, but she rejected him for a life of chastity.  A servant from the Capulet house then meets Romeo, he asks Romeo to tell him what it says on a note Lord Capulet had given the servant.  It was a note for the Capulet ball.  Benvolio then tells Romeo to go and make him see all the other beautiful women and he will forget about Rosalyn. Romeo’s character at the moment seems to fall in love easily, he has a good group of friends and usually is sociable, but when he is in love he changes and is very quiet and reclusive.

We then go to see Juliet for the first time; her mother and the nurse are talking about getting married.  This is the first time we meet Juliet and we notice that she is very respectful of her parent and obeys their every command.  Next we go to see Romeo, Benvolio, Mercutio and followers.  Mercutio then talks about his dream and how Queen Mab visited him during it.  Romeo then calms him down after Mercutio becomes quite irate.  This shows that Mercutio is quite an unstable character, but Romeo is very calm and collected.

We then go to the ball, were Romeo first sees Juliet.  He describes her as ‘ a rich jewel in an ethiop’s ear. For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night’.  Romeo is totally stunned by the beauty of this women, how all the women around are ugly in comparison to here and he is now in love with her and wonders did he really love anyone before.  Then we have Tybalt vowing revenge on Romeo for coming to the ball.  Romeo then meets Juliet for the first time, Romeo tries to kiss Juliet’s hand, but Juliet says No and they kiss on the lips twice then Juliet exits.  Romeo then learns from the nurse that she is a Capulet, ‘is she a Capulet? O dear account.  My life is my foe’s debt’.  Romeo sees the future in this quote, he predicts that bad things will happen if he was to marry Juliet, but he ignores this.  

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We then go to Juliet talking to the nurse ‘My grave is to be my wedding bed’.  Juliet sees the future as well and sees that, if she were to marry Romeo then she will die, but she also dismisses this.  Then the nurse tells Juliet that Romeo is a Montague,  ‘My only love sprung from my only hate  … that I love a loathed enemy’.  Juliet is upset and very annoyed that the one person she loves is also the one person she is meant to hate

We see Romeo and Juliet’s characters fall in love at ...

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