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A Literary Critique
Literary Focus: Romeo and Juliet
Submitted by:
Paula C. Yap
Submitted to:
Mr. Wilfred Tatoy
March 3, 2013
I.
II.
Authors Background
William Shakespeare
Early Life
William Shakespeare was baptized on April 26, 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon,
England. From roughly 1594 onward he was an important member of the Lord
Chamberlains Men Company of theatrical players. Written records give little
indication of the way in which Shakespeares professional life molded his artistry.
All that can be deduced is that over the course of 20 years, Shakespeare wrote
plays that capture the complete range of human emotion and conflict.
Though no birth records exist, church records indicate that a William Shakespeare
was baptized at Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon on April 26, 1564. From
this, it is believed he was born on or near April 23, 1564, and this is the date
scholars acknowledge as William Shakespeare's birthday.
Located 103 miles west of London, during Shakespeare's time Stratfordupon-Avon was a market town bisected with a country road and the River Avon.
William was the third child of John Shakespeare, a leather merchant, and Mary
Arden, a local landed heiress. William had two older sisters, Joan and Judith, and
three younger brothers, Gilbert, Richard and Edmund. Before William's birth, his
father became a successful merchant and held official positions as alderman and
bailiff, an office resembling a mayor. However, records indicate John's fortunes
declined sometime in the late 1570s.
Married Life
After the birth of the twins, there are seven years of William Shakespeare's life
where no records exist.
With the exception of Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare's first plays
were mostly histories written in the early 1590s. Richard II, Henry VI (parts 1, 2
and 3) and Henry V dramatize the destructive results of weak or corrupt rulers, and
have been interpreted by drama historians as Shakespeare's way of justifying the
origins of the Tudor Dynasty.
Shakespeare also wrote several comedies during his early period: the witty
romance A Midsummer Night's Dream, the romantic Merchant of Venice, the wit
and wordplay of Much Ado About Nothing, the charming As You Like It and Twelfth
Night. Other plays, possibly written before 1600, include Titus Andronicus, The
Comedy of Errors, The Taming of the Shrew and The Two Gentlemen of Verona.
It was in William Shakespeare's later period, after 1600, that he wrote the
tragedies Hamlet, King Lear, Othello and Macbeth. In these, Shakespeare's
characters present vivid impressions of human temperament that are timeless and
universal. Possibly the best known of these plays is Hamlet, which explores
betrayal, retribution, incest and moral failure. These moral failures often drive the
twists and turns of Shakespeare's plots, destroying the hero and those he loves.
Death
Tradition has it that William Shakespeare died on his birthday at the age of 52,
April 23, 1616, though many scholars believe that The cause of Shakespeare's
death is unknown. Church records show he was interred at Trinity Church on April
5, 1616. Shakespeare's burial is recorded in the Stratford Parish Register as
occurring on 25 April 1616.
In his will, he left the bulk of his possessions to his eldest daughter, Susanna.
Though entitled to a third of his estate, little seems to have gone to his wife, Anne,
whom he bequeathed his "second-best bed." This has drawn speculation that she
had fallen out of favor, or that the couple was not close. However, there is very
little evidence the two had a difficult marriage.
he
wrote
where
happy
chirping
lovers
get
happily
married).
He wrote it because he had already wrote comedies act and this was good because
it was a mix of a tragedy and a romance, the story is great and Shakespeare did
well to write it.
IV. Characters
Romeo - The son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague. A young man of about
sixteen, Romeo is handsome, intelligent, and sensitive. Thought impulsive and
immature, his idealism and passion make him an extremely likable character. He
lives in the middle of the violent feud between his family and the Capulets, but he is
not at all interested in violence. His secretly marries Julie, the daughter of his
fathers worst enemy; he happily takes abuse from Tybalt; and he would rather die
than live without his beloved. Romeo is also an affectionate and devoted friend to
his relative Benvolio, Mercucio and Friar Lawrence.
Friar Lawrence - A Franciscan friar, friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Kind, civicminded, a proponent of moderation, and always ready with a plan, Friar Lawrence
secretly marries the impassioned lovers in hopes that the union might eventually
bring peace to Verona. As well as being a Catholic holy man, Friar Lawrence is also
an expert in the use of seemingly mystical potions and herbs.
Mercutio - A kinsman to the Prince, and Romeos close friend. One of the most
extraordinary characters in all of Shakespeares plays, Mercutio overflows with
imagination, wit, and, at times, a strange, biting satire and brooding fervor.
Mercutio loves wordplay, especially sexual double entendres. He can be quite
hotheaded, and hates people who are affected, pretentious, or obsessed with the
latest fashions. He finds Romeos romanticized ideas about love tiresome, and tries
to convince Romeo to view love as a simple matter of sexual appetite.
The Nurse - Juliets nurse, the woman who breast-fed Juliet when she was a baby
and has cared for Juliet her entire life. A vulgar, long-winded, and sentimental
character, the Nurse provides comic relief with her frequently inappropriate
remarks and speeches. But, until a disagreement near the plays end, the Nurse is
Juliets faithful confidante and loyal intermediary in Juliets affair with Romeo. She
provides a contrast with Juliet, given that her view of love is earthy and sexual,
whereas Juliet is idealistic and intense. The Nurse believes in love and wants Juliet
to have a nice-looking husband, but the idea that Juliet would want to sacrifice
herself for love is incomprehensible to her.
Capulet - The patriarch of the Capulet family, father of Juliet, husband of Lady
Capulet, and enemy, for unexplained reasons, of Montague. He truly loves his
daughter, though he is not well acquainted with Juliets thoughts or feelings, and
seems to think that what is best for her is a good match with Paris. Often
prudent, he commands respect and propriety, but he is liable to fly into a rage
when either is lacking.
Lady Capulet - Juliets mother, Capulets wife. A woman who herself married
young (by her own estimation she gave birth to Juliet at close to the age of
fourteen), she is eager to see her daughter marry Paris. She is an ineffectual
mother, relying on the Nurse for moral and pragmatic support.
Montague - Romeos father, the patriarch of the Montague clan and bitter enemy
of Capulet. At the beginning of the play, he is chiefly concerned about Romeos
melancholy.
Lady Montague - Romeos mother, Montagues wife. She dies of grief after Romeo
is exiled from Verona.
Paris - A kinsman of the Prince, and the suitor of Juliet most preferred by Capulet.
Once
Capulet
has
promised
him
he
can
marry
Juliet,
he
behaves
very
Prince Escalus - The Prince of Verona. A kinsman of Mercutio and Paris. As the
seat of political power in Verona, he is concerned about maintaining the public
peace at all costs.
Friar John - A Franciscan friar charged by Friar Lawrence with taking the news of
Juliets false death to Romeo in Mantua. Friar John is held up in a quarantined
house, and the message never reaches Romeo.
Balthasar - Romeos dedicated servant, who brings Romeo the news of Juliets
death, unaware that her death is a ruse.
Sampson & Gregory - Two servants of the house of Capulet, who, like their
master, hate the Montagues. At the outset of the play, they successfully provoke
some Montague men into a fight.
Abram - Montagues servant, who fights with Sampson and Gregory in the first
scene of the play.
Peter - A Capulet servant who invites guests to Capulets feast and escorts the
Nurse to meet with Romeo. He is illiterate, and a bad singer.
Rosaline - The woman with whom Romeo is infatuated at the beginning of the
play. Rosaline never appears onstage, but it is said by other characters that she is
very beautiful and has sworn to live a life of chastity.
The Chorus - The Chorus is a single character who, as developed in Greek drama,
functions as a narrator offering commentary on the plays plot and themes.
V.
Setting
There are three evident scenes that occur in public locations that distinctly
have something to do with the consequence of rivalry between the two families in
the play. The violence between the feuding families that arises during these scenes
helps to drive the action forward. The first scene of the play takes place in a public
place in Verona.
servants, of both the Capulet and the Montague families, concerning which servants
serve well. Samson, a servant to the Capulets, attacks Abraham, a servant to the
Montagues.
enter the scene. Benvolio tries to break up the fighting, but Tybalt engages him in
combat.
As they fight, Capulet and Montague enter the scene and speak of
drawing swords as their wives protest. Finally, through Escalus, Prince of Verona,
the audience learns that there have been other public brawls recently between the
families.
Enter SAMPSON and GREGORY, of the house of Capulet, armed with swords and
bucklers
SAMPSON
GREGORY
SAMPSON
GREGORY
Ay, while you live, draw your neck out o' the collar.
SAMPSON
GREGORY
SAMPSON
GREGORY
SAMPSON
A dog of that house shall move me to stand: I will take the wall of any
man or maid of Montague's.
Juliets room is where she mostly has a conversation with her nurse. Its also
the room where she drinks the vial that Friar Lawrence gave her.
JULIET
Nurse
Your mother.
JULIET
LADY CAPULET
Another place present in the play is where Romeo sneaks into the Capulet's
orchard hoping he might see Juliet.
ACT II: SCENE II (Capulet's orchard)
Enter ROMEO
ROMEO
Ay me!
A neutral place where Romeo and Juliet's worlds overlap is at Friar Laurence's
church. This seems to be the only place Juliet is allowed to go outside of her home,
(for purposes of confessing sinspresumably not to commit them). Friar Laurence
is Romeo's confessor as well. Verona, then, is a setting with a religious
specifically Catholic dimension. It is the place where Romeo and Juliet are
married.
FRIAR LAURENCE
ROMEO
In Act III, scene 1, Tybalt accosts Romeo's friend Mercutio, and Benvolio in a
public square while they were searching for Romeo. Romeo enters the scene as
they fight. Tybalt tries to provoke Romeo into fighting, but he is now married to
Juliet, Tybalt's cousin, so Romeo does not return his insults. Mercutio takes it upon
himself to defend Romeo and attacks Tybalt. Romeo steps between them, but
Tybalt mortally wounds Mercutio under the arm of Romeo.
Seeking revenge,
Romeo attacks and kills Tybalt. The citizens are up in arms over the fighting and
Escalus enters and banishes Romeo to Mantua under penalty of death.
BENVOLIO
MERCUTIO
Thou art like one of those fellows that when he enters the confines of a
tavern claps me his sword upon the table and says 'God send me no
need of thee!' and by the operation of the second cup draws it on the
drawer, when indeed there is no need.
BENVOLIO
MERCUTIO
Come, come, thou art as hot a Jack in thy mood as any in Italy, and as
soon moved to be moody, and as soon moody to be moved.
Upon killing Juliets cousin Tybalt (who killed Romeos friend and Prince
Escalus kinsman, Mercutio), Romeo is banished from Verona and then to Mantua
until the Prince is persuaded to pardon him. It is where he found out the news
about Juliets death.
Enter ROMEO
ROMEO
BALTHASAR
Finally, Act V, scene 3 takes place in Verona at the Capulet's tomb. Paris is
first seen at the tomb putting flowers on Juliet's grave. Romeo arrives and Paris,
thinking that he is going to take revenge on the Capulets by desecrating the bodies,
threatens to kill Romeo. Romeo gives Paris the chance to flee and when he does
not, Romeo kills him.
dies.
PARIS
Rosaline is coming to the gathering too. Romeos dilemma is solved as the feast
begins. Romeo sees Juliet from afar and in a nick of time, he falls in love with her
and forgets everything about Rosaline. The couple fell in love with each other and
Friar Lawrence united them in marriage.
Another conflict present in the play is when Romeo is banished by the Prince
for killing Tybalt who killed Mercutio his loyal friend and his punishment seems
worse than death. He is only allowed one night of passion with his new wife and
this perfect night only makes their parting seem more terrible. The conflict has
taken two victims already, in Mercutio and Tybalt, and now the young couple
become victims too for they can no longer be together. Juliet is desperate to be
with her husband and yearns for him. Also, the conflict of having an arranged
marriage with Count Paris troubles Juliet. Friar Lawrence thought of a solution for
the couples dilemma.
happen, he made a potion that will make Juliet unconscious for a few days and
people of Verona will think that she is dead. Friar Lawrence thought that through
that idea he will be able to reunite the couple by informing Romeo about Juliets
fake death.
The long-standing rivalry between the Capulets and Montaiges is unraveled
through Romeo and Juliets death.
happened with their children, they realize the consequence of their hatred with one
another. Peace is finally restored to Verona but its not a cheerful peace for 'never
was there a story of more woe'. As the Prince justly says 'All are punished' and he
refers to the peace as 'glooming peace'. The fire of Romeo and Juliet's love has
'burnt out' but their deaths have finally ended a conflict that has existed for many
years.
VII. Summary
In the streets of Verona another brawl breaks out between the servants of the
feuding noble families of Capulet and Montague. Benvolio, a Montague, tries to stop
the fighting, but he, himself gets involved when the hasty Capulet, Tybalt, arrives
on the scene. When the citizens are alarmed by the constant violence made by the
feuding families, Prince Escalus, the ruler of Verona, attempts to prevent any
further conflicts between the families by decreeing death for any individual who
disturbs the peace in the future.
His cousin Benvolio, who had earlier seen Romeo spending his miserable life in a
grove of sycamores, pursues Romeo, the son of Montague. After Benvolios pursuit,
Romeo confesses that he is in love with Rosaline, a woman who does not return his
affections. Benvolio advises him to forget this woman and find another, more
beautiful one, but Romeo remains discouraged.
Meanwhile, Paris, a kinsman of the Prince, seeks Juliets hand in marriage. Her
father Capulet, though happy for his daughter, asks Paris to wait for two years,
since Juliet is not yet at the age of fourteen. Capulet dispatches a servant with a list
of people to invite to a masquerade and feast he traditionally holds. He invites Paris
to the feast, hoping that Paris will begin to win Juliets heart.
Romeo and Benvolio, who are still discussing about Rosaline, encounter
Capulets servant bearing the list of invitations. Benvolio suggests that they attend,
since that will allow Romeo to compare his beloved to other beautiful women of
Verona. Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio to the feast, but only because Rosaline,
whose name he reads on the list, will be there.
In Capulets household, young Juliet talks with her mother, Lady Capulet, and
her nurse about the possibility of marrying Paris. Juliet has not yet considered
marriage, but agrees to look at Paris during the feast to see if she thinks she could
fall in love with him.
The feast begins. A melancholy Romeo follows Benvolio and their witty friend
Mercutio to Capulets house. Once inside, Romeo sees Juliet from a distance and
instantly falls in love with her; he forgets about Rosaline completely. As Romeo
watches Juliet, entranced, a young Capulet, Tybalt, recognizes him, and is enraged
that a Montague would sneak into a Capulet feast. He prepares to attack, but
Capulet holds him back. Soon, Romeo speaks to Juliet, and the two experience a
profound attraction. They kiss, not even knowing each others names. When he
finds out from Juliets nurse that she is the daughter of Capulethis familys
enemyhe becomes distraught. When Juliet learns that the young man she has
Arranged marriage In the moment when Juliets cousin Tybalt was killed, Capulet
found the opportunity for his daughter to marry Paris. He wanted Paris for his
own daughter. He thought that Count Paris was a perfect match for Juliet.
IX. Theme
Love conquers everything, even hate and death.
X.
Recommendation
I would like to recommend to the playwright to lessen obscene scenes wherein
some characters play jokes about the sensitive parts of the body and some of them
long for sex.
inappropriate to use such style of writing for it might pervert and corrupt their
sanity and deprave the essence of this wonderful literary piece.
Reducing those
things will discourage youthful lust and encourage the youth to posses a deeper
meaning of serenity, forgiveness, and love.
I recommend this novel to readers and encourage nonreaders to read
Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet.
literary composition.
drama to caution all youngsters, prone to fall in love at the flicker of a smile, that
sometimes lovers may have to pay for their love with their own lives. Also, in this
tragedy, love is emphasized as it overcomes everything even death and hate.
Though its said to be a tragedy, I still found it as a story with a happy ending. The
happy ending is not for Romeo and Juliet but for their families. The couples death
was not in vain. Despite the intense rivalry between the Capulet and Montague
families, the passionate love of Romeo and Juliet made a difference. The lovers
deaths made their families reconcile. In this world we live in, most of us experience
downfalls and discouragements. Reading this piece might give us a bigger
perspective in life that might give us the drive or motivation to live life with
something to fight for and something to live for. That motivation will inspire us to
do something we would never thought we could. Like Romeo, we must have
something or someone to live for and if possible something or someone to die for.
This literary piece will encourage us to be passionate in life, to be forgiving, to
pursue what our hearts desire, and to love our fellowmen.