Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Analyse acts 1, 2 and act3, scene 1 Essay Example For Students

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Analyse acts 1, 2 and act3, scene 1 Essay Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Analyse acts 1, 2 and act3, scene 1, with specific reference to how Shakespeare uses characters, language and structure to reveal the escalation of violence and tension in the play. Before William Shakespeares well-known version of Romeo and Juliet there were plays and short stories written in the form of this tragedy. Most of these were in Italian and French. For instance in 1567, around 28 years before Shakespeares version, a man called William Painter included his The goodly history of Rhomeo and Julietta in a volume of short stories, but even earlier during 1562 an author called Arthur Brooke had turned the story into a very long poem which he called The Tragical history of Romeus and Juliet There are many similarities between these poems and stories to Shakespeares play of Romeo and Juliet, he almost certainly used these to help in the writing of his own version of the play. This was quite usual in Elizabethan times for playwrights to use existing stories for the bases of their own, and Shakespeare was exceptionally good at using another peoples work and using their ideas and turning them into complex pieces of drama. But what made William Shakespeare think of setting this love affair between a feuding family? Well at the time there was a feud between two families these were the Longs and the Danvers. Shakespeare knew of this, as his friend the Earl of Southampton was also a friend with the Danvers. Romeo and Juliet was probably written between 1594 and 1595 by which time Shakespeare had already began his rise to fame by performing his plays in the London Theatre. Four or Five years before William Shakespeare had started his work in London and left behind his wife and three children, his eldest being Susannah, back home in Stratford upon Avon. William Shakespeare was 30 and had married his wife at 18, his eldest child being 13 years of age meaning his wife was pregnant before they married and this was probably the reason for the marriage. Shakespeare did not only write plays but also Sonnets. Many can be found in his plays and many were love poems and were definitely not written for his wife. Many people believe these love poems were written for a dark, musical lady whom he had most likely met whilst acting in London. Maybe the play Romeo and Juliet was his way of presenting his feelings for this dark, musical lady whom he truly loved, as he, like Romeo, could not have the woman he loved but in Shakespeares case he wasnt due to a feud, he was already married. Many of his sonnets appear in the first half of Romeo and Juliet, the opening prologue itself is a complete sonnet. It is believed that Shakespeare wrote these sonnets for this Dark Musical Lady I believe that this in fact was not love at all I believe that this was a term called courtly love his infatuation for this Lady was a lot like Romeos obsession for Rosaline. Courtly Love was when a man would fall in Love with a woman usually a woman they couldnt have, a woman who was married or a woman whom was spoken for, she would usually be of higher class (richer) then the man. She, of course, would have to turn him away to keep her reputation but also making the man miserable and his passion will grow for her; he starts making up poems about his love for her and staging fights for himself to win so he could impress his lady with his battle skills. From all her coldness he now suffers depression, he cannot think eat or sleep for his Love for his lady; he prays to God to soften her heart and to reduce his anguish he continually thinks jealous thoughts of his lady. This is what courtly love was all abou t, a man wanting an unattainable woman, Such as Romeos for Rosaline and Shakespeares for this Dark Musical Lady. The play on which this subject is based upon Romeo and Juliet is known as a play of contrasts and of themes e.g. Love, Detestation, Life, Death, Aggression, fate, age, youth. The focus of my essay is the violence of the play but the leading up to this is the main cause of it which of course is love and the fate that awaits Romeo and Juliet as between them is meant to be hate so again we see those love and hate contrasts, this being the main theme of the play but we can not ignore the background themes of the play as they build it up and secure our tragic ending, One of these themes is the matter of youth and age, and how young Romeo is in his youth and is abrupt with his emotions which is contrasted with the calm wisdom of old friar Lawrence. But the balance is the worry of Romeo by his parents and the unpredictability of the parents towards their beloved daughter Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is very well known as a play of contrasts, throughout the play many can be seen, some are plainly obvious and others are inconspicuous e.g. the love and hate theme between Montague and the Capulet and Romeo and Juliet is particularly obvious but age and youth contrast theme is quite hidden but looking into the characters of Friar Lawrence and Tybalt it is easy too see that with age comes wisdom allowing Friar Lawrence able to see both sides of the feud without getting caught up in it, while as Tybalt is young and foolish, his anger gets the better of him and tragically allows himself to die and Romeo to be banished from Verona. There are many of these themes some of which are: Age and Youth, Chance and Fate, Love and Violence and Life and Death, the aspect of this essay is the theme of Love and Violence and how Shakespeare creates the escalation in the play, but this theme can not be considered by its self as Shakespeare uses the other themes to create more of an esc alation to the violence of it all. The theme of love is very much involved in the play as the play is a tragic love story, but in the play different people mix up the aspects of love. Romeos way of showing love and his idea of it all are somewhat different from his friends. Romeo plainly shows here at the Capulet mansion what he thinks of love when he first sees Juliet. Romeo. If I profane with my unworthiest hand This holy shrine, the gentle fine is this, My lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand To smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss. While as his friends show a whole different aspect on Love, all they see is the sexual side of it and they admit this and in fact actually show-off this fact when they see the Nurse outside the church. Maggie Greene EssayBy the next day Romeo has forgotten about his love for Rosaline and has gone to Friar Lawrence who certainly has not forgotten about his love for Rosaline and is now worried for two things, one that the fighting would separate the marriage and two if he loved Rosaline like this and can switch so quickly it wasnt really love who is to say this is? Friar Lawrence: Tho and these woes were all for Rosaline and Art thou changed? Shakespeare is revealing to the audience how Romeo was only in courtly love with Rosaline but now he has felt true love for Juliet, he is revealing to them and explaining to them how bad things can really get because Romeo and Juliet are on opposite sides, he is showing that there is only one person on both sides of this, whom is friar Lawrence and he is showing the audience how scared friar Lawrence is but he changes his mind and shows the audience a look of enlightenment on friar Lawrences face and reveals to the audience of the Friars plan that if the couple get married through the fighting it might surpass it all and cause a truce. This act opens with Romeo and Juliet talking on the balcony about there love and Romeo proposes, Romeo then goes off the next day to make arrangements for their wedding with Friar Lawrence, Friar Lawrence then questions him about his love for Juliet and his abandoned love for fair Rosaline. Shakespeare then shows us how the Montague feel about the Capulet, he shows us two people on the Montague side or of the Montague family telling us what they think of Tybalt the Capulet cousin, they know that after the party a fight will commence between Romeo and Tybalt, they expect Romeo to win, Mercutio, Romeos best friend sticks up for him and calls Tybalt a wimp. Mercutio: More than prince of cats. O, hes the courageous captain of compliments Mercutio is in a bad mood and then he insults an innocent by passer who turns out too be the Capulet Nurse she insults back and Mercutios mood gets worse. The nurse goes home to meet up with Juliet to tell her of the news of her wedding, She sweet talks the nurse but when the nurse doesnt tell her she becomes angry and confused she tries sweet talking the nurse again and gets her way and finds out. At the end of this act the young couple finally precede to their wedding and are bonded for eternity, little do they know what was in store for them. The main events always happen in the middle of the story, although Shakespeare opened up his story telling us what happened he did this in a very clever way, he tells us what happens so we will watch and we think how does it happen then where does it go wrong well in Act 3, thats where it all goes wrong, this is probably the most violent of acts and it is one scene where most of the violence actually happens, that scene is scene 1. At the beginning of the scene Mercutio is still in a very bad mood, the weather is hot and is emotions are high; he is spoiling for a fight, Benvolio is concerned he is remembering what the price ordered and knows if his friend is challenged to a fight he is not going to refuse, Benvolio is yet again trying to maintain the peace. Benvolio I pray thee, good Mercutio, lets retire: The day is hot, the Capls are abroad, And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl, For now, these days, is the mad blood stirring. Soon enough with Mercutio ignoring Benvolios warnings Tybalt comes along looking for Romeo, Mercutio starts joking about the whereabouts of Romeo and other subjects about the Capulets, but Mercutios joking soon turns into his annoyance and starts to challenge Tybalt for Romeo. When Romeo turns up at the scene he is immediately bombarded and challenged to a fight, he of coarse being married to Juliet refuses the offer. Romeo: I do protest I never injured thee, but I love thee better then thou canst devise. Tybalt still will not accept the fact that Romeo does not wish to fight, he therefore challenges him again, the day is hot and Tybalts anger is high he is not going to stand the refusal for to long, and before long is calling him a wimp. Shakespeare shows us Romeos strong nature and how he can handle it, but however while Romeo can deal with the pressure Mercutio cannot. Mercutio challenges Tybalt to a fight in which Tybalt accepts. Mercutio: Will you pluck your sword out of his pilcher by the ears? Tybalt: I am for you Shakespeare is trying to show the audience how bad the fighting really is, look at how Tybalt is accepting the challenge of Mercutio, whom isnt even a Montague, but is in relation to the Montague as a friend. Although Mercutio joked about Tybalts fighting he soon realised what hed done and what hed volunteered himself into, Benvolio knew what was going to happen, and eventually it did, Mercutio was killed. Romeo is furious, angry; he pulls his sword on Tybalt. Romeo: And fire-eyed fury by my conduct now! Tybalt ran after the death of Mercutio but for some un-known reason he returns, He now gets his own way, Romeo challenges him to a fight to the death. The outcome to these events have a ripple effect throughout the rest of the play, Tybalt is killed by Romeo, the princes order tells us that Romeo should be killed, but because Tybalt should have been killed first because the killing of Mercutio, Romeo is let off with only banishment but if Lady Capulet had her way then he would have been killed. Lady Capulet: For blood of ours, shed blood of Montague The prince will not act upon Lady Capulets instructions and asks Benvolio, an eyewitness of what had happened, the prince believes Benvolio showing the audience yet again that he is a peacemaker and a trustworthy person. The last words of Mercutio are very important he says A curse on both your houses and thinking about it this does actually happen both the Montague name and the Capulet name are wiped out, the parents are probably too old to have children now and there only children commit suicide. To conclude my essay I would like to include my own comment on the play and the violence in it, Shakespeare has created an excellent plot idea and turned it into a play still enjoyed by audiences today, his theme ideas are very cunning and well hidden unless looking into the play in depth, the characters created are still a great influence in many peoples lives today and the violence of the play will still be well known for years to come and will still be used in comparison with people and families who do not like one another and show it in an unfriendly way.