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How does Shakespeare present ideas of love
Shakespeare's life
Comparing texts romeo and juliet
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It’s important for those studying English literature to study the classics and classic authors such as Shakespeare. Even today Shakespeare’s work remains relevant and influences many new upcoming writers today. Shakespeare’s works will always be important because they depict a wide variety/range of human emotion accurately, tells what are often relatable and universal stories, and he formed the basis our modern day English language. For us to understand Shakespeare’s work we must first know more about his background. Not much actually is known about Shakespeare’s early life such as his birth. But According to the Folger Shakespeare Library, Shakespeare’s birthday was likely April 23, 1564 because he was baptized on April 26, 1564. His father …show more content…
It’s regarded as the most famous love story in English literature. Love is the story’s dominant theme and most important emotion. Shakespeare depicts and focusses mainly on the passion that comes from love at first sight. He depicts love as a force that can overpower loyalties and many other feelings/emotions. Juliet states that Romeo should “deny thy father and refuse thy name” to show his loyalty to their love over anything else. Shakespeare then presents the chaos and effects their passion causes such Romeo’s best friend Mercutio dying as a result of the feuding families. He may or may not be foreshadowing this when Mercutio and Romeo are discussing the nature and burden of love. According to Romeo love “is too rough, too rude, too [boisterous], and it pricks like thorn. (1.4.25-26) While Romeo’s bet friend Mercutio says it’s “too great oppression for a tender thing. (1.4.24) The two friends describe love in violent, painful terms. Gang related warfare is depicted as a feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. Romeo and Mercutio’s bond resembles ideal friendships people can relate to. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet consists of a multitude of emotions and relatable concepts. Popular movies such as Romeo Must Die, West Side Story, Step Up, China Girl, and Underworld are all inspired by concepts introduced in Romeo and …show more content…
The story has themes such as fate vs free will and misinterpretations. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar questions of fate and mankind’s free will. Cassius, one of the anti-Caesar conspirators, believes accepting Caesar’s rule as fate is nothing short of cowardice. Cassius confides in Brutus, a close friend of Caesar and co-conspirator, and says: “Men at some time were masters of their fate. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings”. (1.2.140-142) Cassius doesn’t believe in fate and seems to see it as a coward’s excuse to not fight for themselves. Julius Caesar on the other hand seems to believe fate and free will coexist as does the story itself. Caesar demonstrates this belief saying: “it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come”. (2.2.35-37) Caesar believe that there are things beyond human control and to fear the inevitable is worse than death. In the story characters often fail to interpret omens they come against correctly. Cicero says, “Men may construe things after their fashion, clean from the purpose of the things themselves”. (1.3.34-35). The omens presented the night before Caesar appears at the Senate are read inaccurately. Cassius believes the omen
Mercutio: Menî–¸ eyes were made to look, and let them gaze. I will not budge for no manî–¸ pleasure, I. This is just a small sampling of crime and violence versus peace and law. Later in this scene, Mercutio challenges Tybalt in a duel, then when Mercutio is slain, Romeo goes on to challenge Tybalt, killing him. If Mercutio, Tybalt and Romeo would have listened to Benvolio, the fights would have not occurred, and the outcome of the play would be changed. An example of love versus hate occurs through the relationship Romeo and Juliet and the hate between their families.
Romeo and Juliet is known as one of the greatest love stories, but it has its fair share of tragedy as well. The story riddles with themes throughout. Love is the first theme and there is no greater love than the love Romeo and Juliet share. Shakespeare offers his audiences just as much hate as love in Romeo and Juliet. The families of both Romeo and Juliet involve themselves in centuries of feuding. The ongoing feud between the Montagues and Capulets drives Romeo and Juliet into a life of secrecy, which ultimately causes their deaths. Youth is another theme and ties directly to how young both Romeo and Juliet are both in their age and their relationship. The story of Romeo and Juliet uses sex as a theme as well although not in the intimate details of more modern stories. The two lovers concerns are not with the wishes of their warring families, they just want to be together “Deny thy father and refuse thy name / Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn by my love / And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2.2.34-36). Love is the first theme Shakespeare displays in this play.
As one of the most well known authors of the Elizabethan Era, Shakespeare had written numerous sonnets and plays reflecting the values of people of the time period. Shakespeare often display themes of love and death, fate and free will, and power and weaknesses throughout his works of literature. The play "The Tragedy of Julius” truly highlight the impact of fate and free will in the development of the plot, of the assassination of Caesar’s death. Some may argue that fate is actually the one responsible for the act, but they fail to recognize that it is the acts of men leading to the death. It is the free will at fault for this occurrence, that the Roman senators consciously killed Caesar and Caesar himself facing his mortality.
Much of Rome perceives Caesar as a superior being and immortal, but Cassius holds a contrasting perspective of Caesar. There is a point in his story where Caesar is crying for help, “Help me, Cassius, or I sink!” (111). Cassius also reveals a time when Caesar fell ill in Spain and how Caesar was completely taken over by this sudden sickness, “And when the fit was on him, I did mark/ How he did shake-’tis true, this god did shake,” (120-121). Cassius tells of Caesar’s weakest points, exposing moments in which Caesar does not seem godly at all. By illustrating the time in which Caesar fell ill Cassius proves that Caesar is not a celestial because become gods do not become ill, only normal citizens do. Cassius diminishes Caesar’s godly nature by illustrating how this great immortal being, cannot swim or can become terribly ill, just as any other commoner. Cassius, by exposing these moments in Caesar’s life, demonstrates to Brutus that Caesar is not fit to be a leader and is not the god Romans perceive him to be; his actions create a different person than his words. This supports Cassius’ point that Caesar is not fit to be a leader because Caesar is deceiving the people of Rome. Cassius continues to elaborate on his episode when he informs Brutus that he was crying for others to bring him water, “Ay, and that tongue of his that bade the Romans/Mark him, and write his speeches in their books,/Alas it cried, ‘Give me some drink, Titinius” (125-127). The great Caesar, whom others admire and document his words, is now begging for a drink to help him recover from the sudden illness. Cassius emphasizes how Caesar is not divine since he cannot manage sudden, challenging events. He reveals how Caesar whose words can persuade the citizens of Rome is now begging for someone to help him. This diminishes his godly nature because it demonstrates how weak Caesar can become in an instant.
At the end of both Caesar and Brutus’ lives, they become enlightened to a truth they had so eagerly avoided. For Caesar, that truth is his over confidence in his ideals and his ignorance of the warning signs so often shown to him. Caesar’s downfall and untimely understanding makes him a tragic hero. Even though Caesar is a brilliant leader, he is also a very proud Roman man. He makes one of his biggest mistakes by not listening to the vociferous and wise Soothsayer.
William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Julius Caesar is a tragic drama, set in Ancient Rome about the horrendous death of Julius Caesar. Brutus, leader of the conspiracy against Caesar, begins as Caesar’s friend. Cassius, instigator of the conspirator, manipulates Brutus into killing Caesar. Brutus agrees to this plan because of his plans for Rome. The bond between these two connects when Brutus agrees to Cassius about killing Caesar for the best of Rome. Cassius, very power hungry, comes up with a plan that will succeed in both of them killing Caesar. They both rely on each other because they want the power that Caesar has been requested to make the best of Rome. This dream of making Rome better was manipulated by Cassius to Brutus. However,
Throughout the play The Tragedy of Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare both fate and free will is demonstrated. Cassius argued that everyone has the power to change their future in what they do when Casca came to him frightened by omens. Though, omens have seemed to prove correct throughout the play, therefore it dominates the argument of Fate versus Free Will.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings (1.2.139-141).” Through careful and strategic planning is Cassius able to persuade Brutus, a man who “for his virtue and valiantness, was well-beloved of the people (“Sources” 120),” into conspiring and acting upon the death of Caesar. Caesar also believes that men control their own fate by stating, in response to the omens and portents, “Danger knows full well / That Caesar is more dangerous than he (2.2.44-45).” Through this quote, Caesar presents his belief that he has the ability to overcome a superstitious fate. Therefore, he ignores all the signs and omens and thus determines his fate through an action that would seal his death.
In “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, two very young people fall in love but cannot be with each other because of the feud in between their families. The feud ends when Romeo and Juliet both kill themselves because of heartbreak over the other. The minor characters Mercutio, Tybalt, and Friar Lawrence serve as foils to Romeo, to help support the theme of patience.
The idea of ignorance, and the belief of a false faith, turns this noble man into a vulgar grave, with virtuous notions. Brutus’ ignorance creates an expectation that develops a path that leads him awry. When Brutus mentions, “I would not love Cassius; yet I love him well” (1.2.81-88 ), he portrays his internal conflict. Brutus depicts the struggle between Cassius’ acquisitions and Caesar’s actions.
Romeo and Juliet is arguably the most famous story about love in literature. This is in part because of the tension caused by the look the different characters have towards what love means and its role in life. These views were very important for the progression of the story. Their different views collided and caused much grief and sorrow for the characters throughout play. Many important events that propelled the story forward would not have happened without the various feelings towards love the characters have and how they felt of and reacted to the other characters’ view on love.
He says to Brutus, "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars but in ourselves. " This phrase means that it is not fate, but weakness of the character that forces a person to act against his will. The play is full of omens and prophesies that come true, undermining the sense that characters shape the outcomes of their lives. An example of this is when a soothsayer warns Caesar to be, "beware the Ides of March," the eventually date of his death. Machiavelli talks about how foresight is an important attribute in any prince, something Caesar lacks in this instance.
The Aeneid, Julius Caesar, and Fate The concept of “fate” is an important aspect in The Aeneid as well as a strong theme throughout Virgil’s work – Aeneas is fated to found Rome, and he is not permitted to rest until he fulfils his fate. Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar leans far less on the idea of fate, and often examines it where The Aeneid does not. The Aeneid takes the idea of fate wholeheartedly and it is a guiding factor of the epic. Our introduction to the hero Aeneas comes largely from a discussion of him between Jupiter and Venus (the mother of Aeneas).
For every sin committed there is an unavoidable consequence, as is the case when the conspirators try to harness the future. Even though Brutus’ actions are noble, no one can ever hope to control history, those who try suffer a terrible fate. “Caesar, Brutus, and Cassius are all guilty of arrogance in believing they can control history; as a consequence, Caesar precipitates his own death and the other two merit the retribution that overtakes them.
Caesar's death was a most tragic event indeed, for he would have made a great Roman monarch. However, there were many unheeded warnings. caveats which might have averted his death. In the first act itself we see that Caesar comes across a soothsayer. who fore tells that the future holds terrible things for Caesar.