How does this section of Romeo and Juliet reflect upon and illuminate the text?

                    Shakespeare focuses the blame and responsibility on many people to emphasise the complexity of this tragedy. When the captain of the watch “holds him in safety” there is an air of suspicion that suggests that there will be blame given. The “mattock and spade” are both physical emblems that Shakespeare uses to highlight the Friars responsibility, showing the explicit direct blame of the Friar. The fact that the families are unaware of Romeo and Juliet’s love adds a sense of mystery and ambiguity also showing more clearly the rushed fickle and spontaneous nature of the marriage. In the modern production this is also seen when Baz Luhrman portrays Claire Dane’s and Learnado De Caprio who play Romeo and Juliet as very hubristic and love sick characters. There is a hint at bad luck when the saddened and frustrated Montague asks “What further woe conspires against mine age?”, which highlights even more the loss of youth and innocence, innocence and also the dual responsibility shared by the two families. Shakespeare plays upon a maternal instinct when Juliet is described as a “daughter” for the first time, which is much less formal and emotional and also conveys a real image of suffering and grieving.  When Shakespeare describes Romeo and Juliet’s marriage day as “st’len” it portrays a sense of immorality and negativity but also it makes us sympathise with them. When “Juliet pined” and when Shakespeare describes her as ‘doing violence to her self’ it presents to us a literal reading of suicide, but also lays a wider inferred blame on Romeo and Juliet for their rushed and hasty marriage. The Friar is used by Shakespeare to present the nurse, who kept secret Romeo and Juliet’s love, as ‘privy’ which portrays the nurse as partly responsible for this tragedy and also for the Friar to deflect his responsibility on to some one else.

                    Shakespeare highlights a sense of resolution and end to trouble by conveying subtle hints through the use of his characters. There is a contrast of death and new unity when Shakespeare uses Romeo and Juliet’s tragic death as a positive image of unity between the two families which is shown when Capulet says “O brother Montague” hinting at a healing of a rift between the families.  The statue in “pure gold” emphasises the preciousness and importance of this tragedy but also makes us think that nothing has changed as the families still seem to be interested in wealth and hierarchy which was what caused this tragedy in the first place. Montague compliments the Capulet’s when he says “true and faithful Juliet” showing that despite all the sorrow and grief between the two families, there is still a sense of resolution and peace. The resolution is tarnished by the fact that it is still “glooming” but it still presents to us a sense of peace and when the Prince who is neutral repeats this again which portrays a universal sense of grief and suffering. The “sun” represents images of positivity and despite a sense of sadness and sorrow there is still a sense of calm and new peace. There is a sense of union and bonding when Balthasar who Shakespeare uses to represent youth and innocence says to the Prince “to the same place, to this same monument” showing the older generations past conflict reminding us of his ability to change attitudes and stop the rivalry and stubbornness that has become so ingrained. Just like in Shakespeare’s version Baz Luhrman’s portrays Balthazar as young and innocent to represent change and new unity.

                    In this section Shakespeare uses tragic aspects to highlight tragedy towards the end. The Friar and the Prince advised Romeo and Juliet to slow down and “bear this work of heaven with patience” and “be slave to patience” but they still remained rushed which is an ironic reminder that there fatal flaw was that they rushed in to marriage and was also Shakespeare’s way of reminding us of Romeo’s hubristic nature. The Friar wants his “old” life to be sacrificed emphasising even more the loss of youth, innocence and highlights the Friars responsibility and guilt even more. There is a hint that the two materialistic families have not learnt anything from this great tragedy when Montague says “I can give thee more” which shows that the two families are still competitive and are both desperate to prove themselves better. There is an implication that they are still interested in materialism when the “statue” will be raised in pure gold which is another superficial attempt to show the power and wealth of the families. When this tragedy is described as a “story” it undermines the sense of real suffering and denigrates Romeo and Juliet’s love.