Shakespeare Romeo+Juliet courswork.doc

“Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I never saw true beauty till this night.” He says he was never properly in love until this night. As the audience we are convinced that this love is undoubted between the lovers.

Another point why their love is true is Shakespeare starts their first conversation in sonnet form. This symbolizes their love effectively.

        In act one scene five Romeo enters Capulet’s house during the party and instantly Tybalt witnesses him and threatens to kill him. Capulet stops him. Tybalt spots Romeo exactly when Romeo falls in love with Juliet. Shakespeare chooses this to happen because he wants to warn the audience that the lovers are doomed. Tybalt is violently enraged to seeing Romeo intruding at the ball. “I will withdraw, but this intrusion shall, Now seeming sweet convert to bitterest gall.” Tybalt alerts the audience that he is going to turn this pleasant mood to “bitterest gall”. The word bitterest presents the outcome of disaster. “Gall” is poison and Tybalt expresses he will turn this to bitterest “gall.” What Tybalt reveals has a huge dramatic amount of impact and effect because Romeo kills himself with poison. So what Tybalt aimed to do did happened. Tybalt says “Now, by the stock and honor of my kin, To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.” This 2 lines are a rhyming couplet. Tybalt is saying that the honor of his family is so important that he finds it not a sin to strike Romeo dead. Repeatedly this is another way of Shakespeare warning us that their relationship is doomed.

        What is obvious about the act two scene 2 balcony scene is that Romeo risks his life to be there. This clearly marks out his love for Juliet and his language is much more lucid compared to his language before when he was confused and depressed. He is certain and positive that his love it sincere. Romeo is hiding in the Capulet’s orchard and overhears Juliet expressing his love for him. Romeo in love speaks “What light through yonder window breaks.” Romeo is using images to describe Juliet. He is saying light is shining through.

“It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.” Romeo makes it look like Juliet is the sun itself. The level of importance of the sun is how important Juliet is to Romeo. Without the sun, we won’t be able to live and so without Juliet, Romeo won’t be able to live. “Arise fair sun and kill envious moon.” Romeo uses powerful phrases to show how jealous the moon is at Juliet. Romeo makes it look like light follows her everywhere and wipes out all darkness.                

“The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars”. Romeo is implying that Juliet is brighter then heaven stars. Heaven stars are nothing compared to Juliet’s cheeks. Romeo is saying that Juliet deserves to be in heaven. In this scene the fact that they decide to rush into marriage reflects their love. Romeo describes her as a “Bright angel.” Romeo is saying that she is rare and heavenly and not ordinary. “My life were better ended by their hate, Than death prorogued wanting of thy love.” Romeo says that he will rather die if not achieving Juliet’s love. As far as the marriage is concerned Juliet informs Romeo that, if his intentions are serious about his proposal for marriage, she will send someone to visit him the next day to make the wedding arrangements. Romeo reveals that he will go to Friar Laurence to seek his help and guidance.

        In act two scene 3 the Friar talks about the dual nature of plants and how a plant can be poisonous and medical. “Poison hath residence and medicine power.” This links to how the Montague’s are at poison with the Capulet’s and vice versa. However after the lover’s death the two families like each other with the plant being able to heal. Romeo approaches the Friar and inquires if the marriage is possible. Friar mentions what happened before with Rosaline and how that made Romeo confused and depressed. Friar continues adding that Romeos first relationship never worked out how he wanted it to. Friar tells Romeo that he is not in love. “Young men’s love than lies, not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes.” Initially the Friar believes that Romeo is in lust with his eyes and not in love with his heart. However Friar decides to marry the lovers when he states “But come, young waverer, come, go with me.”

Friar decides to marry the lovers. “To turn your households' rancour to pure love.” He does this because he believes that if this marriage takes place then the rivalry of the two families will end. The nurse also assists the lovers into getting married. The audience knows that this relationship is a tragedy, but the Friar and the nurse can not see that this marriage is dangerous and is going to cause problems in the future. They are short sighted and naïve to think that.

        In act three scene 1, the conflict starts again in a public place outside. The Capulet’s arrive near the Montague’s. The tension rises and the temperature rises. It is a hot day in Verona. “For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.” Blood stirring connects with anger and hatred. Tybalt wants a word with Romeo and Romeo tries to avoid him. “But love thee better than thou canst devise.” Romeo says this because he does not want to get into a fight with one of Juliet’s cousins. Romeo loves Juliet to such an extent that he will choose not to fight Tybalt. As the two families fight Mercutio is wounded by Tybalt and just before Mercutio dies he curses both families and shouts “A plague on both your houses.” Mecutio tries to make the families understand that this enmity between the two generations has to finish. Romeo avenges Mercutio’s death and murders Tybalt. This makes us see that Romeo is a man of action. He is a 16th centaury hero for what he has done. Regardless how heroic he may be, there are consequences for the crime he committed. Romeo is banished from Verona by the price. This scene is vital as it marks the point at which the fortunes of the tragic heroes begin to decline.

This incident complicates the marriage and therefore is another obstacle for their relationship to persist. From this part of the play it gives the audience another piece of evidence to show that the lovers are doomed. This reminds the audience of the prologue sentence death. Romeo says “This days black fate.” The work black is like an image of death reminding the audience of the prologue and how their death was inevitable.

Problems develop after Romeo kills Tybalt, Juliet is going to feel hurt after hearing that her husband has killed her cousin. Also, the prince has threatened death to anyone who disturbs the peace in Verona. So now the issue of where they are going to stay is a problem which is an obstacle.

        Romeo prepares to visit Juliet before leaving Verona and the lovers consummate their marriage. Romeo must leave before getting captured by the princes men, as they part, they both have premonition fearing death. Before Romeo departs, Juliet has an ominous vision. “Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low, As one dead in the bottom of a tomb.” Juliet gets the feeling that she is never going to see Romeo alive again. This is actually true because the next time Juliet sees Romeo in the family tomb.

        In conclusion, Romeo’s language, imagery and the way he risks his life for Juliet sums up that their love is true. Shakespeare warns us that this play was going to end in a tragedy. Through the prologue and the themes of love and conflict are closely linked in the play, with scenes of violence clearly following death in the end.