Comparing Marriage In Romeo And Juliet And Today

733 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: History of marriage essay

Marriage in Romeo and Juliet Versus Now While reading Romeo and Juliet many people have noticed that how a marriage works is very distant than how they work today. In this play the marriages are very different because of the proposal, the ceremony, and the reception. These are only some of the many things from Shakespeare’s era that have changed over time. In Shakespeare’s play, the proposal is very different than they are today. To be specific, the time frame in which it happens, the age they propose at, and how they propose bear no resemblance to today. In Shakespeare’s time, the proposal happened very quickly. When Romeo proposed to Juliet, they haven’t even known each other for a whole day. In Act II Scene II Juliet says, “I gave thee mine before thou didst request it: And yet I would it were to give again.” They have only known each other for a night and Juliet already wants to be proposed to. In contrast, in current times it could take anywhere from a couple months to years to decide to propose. The age at which the proposal takes …show more content…

They don’t celebrate their marriage as much as people do now. For example, Romeo got in a duel after the wedding. In Act III Scene I Benvolio says, “Romeo, away, be gone! The citizens are up, and Tybalt slain. Stand not amazed: the prince will doom thee death, If thou art taken: hence, be gone, away!” This is showing the duel between Tybalt, Benvolio and Romeo getting ready to happen. Then, he got exiled and had to leave so Romeo and Juliet never got to celebrate together, with their families or go on a honeymoon. In current times, the newlyweds celebrate with each other. Next, they have a reception with their families and celebrate. Finally, they go on a honeymoon, usually to a tropical place out of state, and celebrate yet again with their new wife or husband. Overall, people can tell that the marriages in Shakespeare’s era vary greatly from marriages

Show More
Related

  • Romeo And Juliet Irrational Decision Essay

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet's marriage was an irrational decision because they had barely known each other. Romeo and Juliet had met at a party earlier in the night and Romeo wished to speak with Juliet more. After only 24 hours of speaking with each other, they had already planned to marry “by the hour of nine”

    Read More

  • How Does Shakespeare Present Love In Much Ado About Nothing

    2807 Words  | 6 Pages

      " 'As Marriage Binds, and Blood Breaks': English Marriage and Shakespeare" Shakespeare Quarterly 30, (1979):

    Read More

  • Who's To Blame In The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    Near the beginning of the story the Capulets hold a party and some Montagues show up including Romeo. Juliet's father lets them stay and soon Romeo and Juliet meet for the first time. If they didn't have the party they would not have met in the first place. So Romeo and Juliet seem to get along and before the night is over they fall in love with each other and are basically inseparable. Juliet proposes which leads to a private marriage performed by Friar Lawrence. Soon after a day of meeting the two are

    Read More

  • Capulet's Treatment of Juliet in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    They were more interested in the wealth and respectability of a husband than the daughter’s happiness. Their idea of a happy marriage would be that the woman would learn to love the husband. Is it very important for a modern audience, who wish to get a deeper understanding of Shakespeare’s scenes and characters, to understand the society of Romeo and Juliet. Otherwise, unwillingly, the audience may unfairly judge a character. They may see a character’s actions as unreasonable, as they would be considered in a modern society, when in fact they may have been perfectly reasonable in Shakespearean times.

    Read More

  • Attitudes Toward Love and Marriage in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    870 Words  | 2 Pages

    to be a quite romantic person, as, to start with, he is in love with

    Read More

  • The Worst Role Models In The Tragedy Of Romeo And Juliet

    372 Words  | 1 Pages

    Romeo Montague is considered an atrocious role model because of his repeatedly impulsive and immature attitude. He tends to rush into things and makes major life choices on a whim. “But this I pray/That thou consent to marry us to-day” (2.3.64-65). This proves that Romeo is impulsive and impatient. There was no rational reason for Romeo and Juliet to get married that soon. Had they waited until they received their parents

    Read More

  • Juliet’s Transformation in Romeo and Juliet

    970 Words  | 2 Pages

    The audience is first introduced to Juliet in the exposition of the play. Juliet attracts the attention the Count Paris and her father (Lord Capulet) wisely says that Juliet “is yet a stranger in the world” (Act I.2.8) and should be allowed “two more summers” (Act I.2.10) to grow until she is ready for marriage. This implies that Juliet is young and has not yet matured to level where she is eligible to be married. Lord Capulet’s love for his daughter leads him to protect her from the prospective marriage until she is “ripe to be a bride” (Act I.2.11).

    Read More

  • Comparing Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Otway’s History and Fall of Caius Marius

    2592 Words  | 6 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet was first published around 1595. At this time in England the family was one of the most central and pivotal figures of social order. Children were expected to honor and obey their parents and seek their assistance in any decisions made. Especially in choices made concerning marriage. At this time children were finally able to take a more active role in choosing their husband/wife, but parents were essentially given the final decision (Amussen 94). Romeo and Juliet took it upon themselves to make such an important decision and hardly even considered their parents in the process. During the first half of the 17th century the average age for a woman to marry was 26 and for a man, 28 (Amussen 86). Shakespeare’s central characters are barely entering their teen years. As a son coming of age, and more importantly the singular male heir for the Montague family, Romeo should be entering University to prepare himself for handling the family fortune, not marrying in secret. This is merely the beginning of his show of irresponsibility towards his family and ultimately the role he is meant to play in society.

    Read More

  • Parenting Analysis in Romeo and Juliet

    1513 Words  | 4 Pages

    Shakespeare Alive!. Bantam, 1988. p. 85-102. “Love and Marriage.” Life in Elizabethan England.

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Modern Day Analysis

    810 Words  | 2 Pages

    What makes a piece of literature relevant or irrelevant to a society? There have been many debates on the relevance about particular pieces of literature, especially old literature, in the modern day. Their relevance can be judged by how they address issues happening in society when they were written compared to those same issues today. It can also be judged on whether the themes present can apply to the modern day. And even if a story portrays issues that are either resolved or irrelevant today it can still have value on how it portrays human nature The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet is a relevant work for a person in modern times due to its themes on suicide, human recklessness, and violence and revenge.

    Read More

  • Examples Of Impulsiveness In Romeo And Juliet

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    After only getting to know each other for just a few hours, Romeo and Juliet make the decision together to get married the next day. As Romeo pleads with Friar Lawrence to perform the marriage ceremony, he says, "But this I pray, / That thou consent to marry us to-day" (2.3.67-68). This simple line by Romeo illustrates the impulsiveness of the two teen's decisions and how that leads to further conflict because he begs the Friar that the marriage must be done as soon as possible. Instead of being reasonable, Romeo and Juliet insist to get married after supposedly meeting their true loves just one day prior to this. The immaturity of this decision is what ultimately leads to the demise of the two characters. Secondly, Romeo and Juliet's decision to look over the fact that their families are sworn enemies leads to a string of further problems. As Romeo speaks to Juliet from her balcony, Juliet says, “My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words/Of thy tongue’s uttering, yet I know the sound./Art thou not Romeo, and a Montague?” (2.2.64-65). After hearing this, Romeo responds, “Neither, fair maid, if either thee dislike” (2.2.66). This illustrates the couple's willingness to be oblivious to the fact that their families have been feuding for longer than anyone could remember. They are still risking being caught together when they

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet Flaws

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of his charters, Juliet, also grapples with the idea of arranged marriages when she has already found her true love and the conflict that follows is a struggle that is still seen today. In modern day arranged marriages occur in culturally infused countries, however there is backlash and violence that occurs as a result. An article titled “The Progressive case for Teaching Shakespeare” states that the “jarring disparities between then and now can open up a political imagination that is foreclosed by living purely within the confines of current social and political thinking.” Current social and political thinking is based on assumptions that weren’t fully formed in eras like in Romeo and Juliet. When students read any of Shakespeare’s plays, they begin to contemplate the harsh truth that humanity hasn’t changed since Shakespeare's era. Histories’ faults bleed and stain modern society. People still fight over irrational ideas like the Capulets and Montagues did and today there are still disputes between two people from opposite ‘groups’ loving one another, such as inter-racial marriages, inter-religious marriages, and poor marrying rich. Shakespeare provides a roadmap of what not to do and his plays provide a solution to minimizing conflict. Students need this resource to instill their connections to modern society and apply this knowledge to modern change. Not only does the novel mock our modern faults, it makes students critical thinkers. Shakespeare's plays make students ask questions that they probably didn’t think they had. In “Why Shakespeare Still Matters” from the University of Melbourne, David McInnis states “in wrestling with the provocative questions and scenarios Shakespeare has created, we question our own assumptions and beliefs, clarify our thoughts, and become better thinkers.” The complexity of Shakespeare's plays are the reason

    Read More

  • Love At First Sight In Romeo And Juliet

    453 Words  | 1 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet jump into marriage, taking no time to get to know each other. They decided that they were to be wedded after knowing eachother for less then 24 hours. In the dialogue it unclear if Romeo knows more about Juliet other then she is beautiful. He goes ahead

    Read More

  • Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare

    1138 Words  | 3 Pages

    Also love today includes sex unlike courtly love. If a man kept pursuing a woman today to marry him and she continued to refuse the man would most probably give up on her, dissimilar to the courtly lover that would keep on trying. Shakespeare mocks the idea of courtly love in his play in his use of language, the characters and how they go in and out of their roles of courtly love. I aim to look at the plays moral, philosophical and social significance. Also I will analyse Shakespeare's stagecraft and appeal to the audience and to look at the patterns and details of words.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Being Earnest Marriage Theme Analysis

    1070 Words  | 3 Pages

    To give a little background on the play; the pursuit of marriage is the driving force behind the play. “I now pronounce you, man and wife.” This traditional saying, commonly used to announce a newlywed couple during a wedding ceremony, marks the happily ever after that many dream of today. In today’s society, marriage is an expression of love between two individuals. Marriage has not, however, always been an act of love. In the Victorian era, marriage was almost a chore. Most people married out of need rather than want. In the Play this is evident when Lady Bracknell objects to Gwendolen and Ernest’s engagement on the basis of his lack of legitimate background. On the other hand, Jack objects to the marriage of Cecily and Algernon’s

    Read More

More about Comparing Marriage In Romeo And Juliet And Today

Open Document