Romeo and Juliet - domestic tragedy

Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare, it is among his many other tragedies such as, "Macbeth" and "Hamlet.". "Romeo and Juliet" is one of the most tragic Shakespeare's plays. In the prologue, Romeo and Juliet are referred to as star-crossed lovers who are destined for death.

In Shakespeare's other tragedies, such as "Macbeth and "Hamlet", although these characters are destined to die, the kind of tragedy is different, Romeo and Juliet is a domestic tragedy, although the other characters influence the outcome of the final tragedy, only a small group of people are affected. However, in "Macbeth" and "Hamlet", the tragedy is political; the outcome affects the entire country.

A tragic hero must be from a noble, royal or a rich family; they must possess a flaw that will eventually be their downfall. Other people influence the outcome of the hero and after the hero and his friend's etc die, peace is then returned.

The play follows Romeo, the main character; he is the tragic hero of the story, however he isn't the kind of character we expect to be a hero Romeo, from the beginning of the play, is portrayed as an immature character, having become depressed over Rosaline, Romeo likes to make other people feel sympathy for him even if that other character is trying to help him, and for example, when Benvolio is trying to help him.

"This love that thou hast shown

Doth add more grief too much of my own."

He is self-centred and melodramatic, he wants to be pitied. He describes love as a burden. Whilst he is in love with Rosaline, he uses images of heaviness and darkness to describe how bad he feels about being rejected by Rosaline, this reveals that the feelings he has for Rosaline are false, it isn't love just physical attraction. In this scene, we learn how Romeo is as a person, and because of how he acts we don't really like him much due to his whining ...

This is a preview of the whole essay

"This love that thou hast shown

Doth add more grief too much of my own."

Romeo like most other characters, has a flaw, and because he is a tragic hero, this flaw will inevitably bring him to his death, but Romeo has more than one flaw, he is immature, naive and too hasty, he also has a bit of a bad temper. He rushed into marriage with Juliet without thinking about the consequences. This inexorably led to his and Juliet's death along with friends and family.

Romeo is well thought of and loved by all who know him, even his enemy Capulet speaks highly of him to Tybalt.

"Verona brags of him as a virtuous and well-governed youth."

Through the other characters' relationships with Romeo, we begin to think of him more as the hero of the story.

Benvolio persuades Romeo to gatecrash the Capulet party which is where he meets Juliet. At this point, Romeo has entirely forgotten about Rosaline, and even though he found out that Juliet is a Capulet he still loves her which reveals that this time he truly is in love. Juliet also feels the same way about Romeo even though she is only fourteen years old.

"My only love sprung from my only hate.

Too early seen unknown; and known too late."

This scene leads on to revealing Romeo's fatal flaw. Hubris was Macbeth's weakness and procrastination led Hamlet to his downfall. And the worse part is that if he had have acted sooner he could've saved many other people from dying. Romeo is in the same sort of position, if he had made different decisions then many friends, family and other people wouldn't have died. Fate it seems was against Romeo and Juliet, it began when Benvolio asked Romeo to go to the party, if Romeo didn't he would never ha met Juliet, or if Tybalt never killed Mercutio then Romeo wouldn't have avenged him and wouldn't have been banished. Then Juliet wouldn't have pretended to be dead and Romeo wouldn't have killed himself. Hence the tragedy would have been thwarted.

Romeo at this point in the story has become more mature and has a different opinion of what love is like, he now uses images of brightness and says,

"With love's light wings did I o'erperch these walls."

Romeo again doesn't think about the consequences and rushes into marriage with Juliet; they are married secretly in Friar Lawrence's cell. Friar Lawrence is another character who influences the final tragedy, because if he simply refused to marry them in the first place the outcome would have been thwarted.

After avenging Mercutio, Romeo was banished to Mantua, because of this; Juliet had gone to Friar Lawrence for help because Capulet was forcing Juliet to marry the Noble Count Paris. Friar Lawrence told Juliet to make peace with her parents then take the concoction that will make her seem dead for a day then Romeo shall come and take her away to Mantua. She agreed. However, Friar Lawrence's letter couldn't get delivered to Romeo because of an outbreak of the plague so Romeo didn't know whether Juliet was truly dead or not. Fearing that Romeo will do something drastic, he tries to send another letter although in vain as Romeo had already received news of the death and was making his way back to Verona.

Balthazar had told Romeo the news.

"Then she is well and nothing can be ill,

Her body sleeps in Capel's monument."

Romeo buys some poison but refers to it as "Cordial", he uses this term because medicine is usually helpful and it will help him to be by Juliet's side again in death.

"Come cordial, and not poison, go with me.

To Juliet's grave, for there I must use thee."

Romeo makes his way to Capulet's tomb to die beside Juliet.