Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing

563 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Analysis of Romeo and Juliet

Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing

As illustrated by the two plays Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing, William Shakespeare was a true romantic. In each play, his characters suffer great hardship, but in the end, he delivers them to a life of eternal love. Characters plot against each other in each play. The relationships of the people in his plays are not always what they seem. Whether it be a tragedy or a comedy, Shakespeare encompasses three elements into his plays: love, intrigue, and identity.

Love is the biggest theme in both Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing. In both plays, hate acts as a force that attempts to tear both lovers apart, but their love holds them together. In Romeo and Juliet, the two lovers’ families hate one another. As a result, Romeo and Juliet are not allowed to see each other so they have to meet in secret. Despite their families’ attempting to interfere, Romeo and Juliet end up with one another for eternity in the after-life. In Much Ado About Nothing, Claudio and Hero plan to be married. Don John deceives Claudio into believing Hero is having an affair with one of his men. Claudio then calls off the wedding. When he discovers the truth, they marry immediately. In both plays love is the bond that holds the lovers together, in spite of many obstacles the two face.

Intrigue is shown in both plays by the characters that act as liaisons between the lovers. For example, Romeo and Juliet cannot simply go out ...

Show More
Related

  • Much Ado About Nothing

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...ut Nothing is an extremely fast paced and witty play, Shakespeare very much has love as his central theme. There are two very different, yet equally compelling relationships that are explored in depth. They run through the play concurrently, allowing the reader to compare and contrast the different facets and complexities between the two. The playwright’s rich understanding of relationships, and particularly his understanding of the fact that love is not always as formulaic as many a writer would have us believe, makes for a fascinating read. In fact, by directly comparing a realistic couple, full of real world self doubt and a fear of rejection with a very stereotypical love-at-first-sight type of relationship, Shakespeare is possibly making the point that love and relationships have more depth than is often given credit.

    Read More

  • How Does Shakespeare Present Love In Much Ado About Nothing

    2807 Words  | 6 Pages

    In Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare depicts different kinds of loving relationships - romantic love, family support and loyal friendship - and shows how various characters react to love and marriage. By exploring the effects of this powerful emotion Shakespeare highlights its universal relevance, a relevance that transcends time.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Eve of St. Agnes and Romeo and Juliet

    2100 Words  | 5 Pages

    known works, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. But is it so simple? How do these two compare,

    Read More

  • Forces Keeping Romeo And Juliet Apart in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet are madly in love with each other and will go to any lengths to be together.

    Read More

  • Is Romeo and Juliet More About Hate or Love?

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    Throughout Romeo and Juliet love and hate are combined. However even though they are combined love still remains the principal theme in the play. Although in the play the theme of hatred can be just as important and sometimes it intensifies the theme of love. For example Romeo and Juliet’s love wouldn’t have been so extreme and powerful unless there was the hatred between the Montague’s and Capulet’s.

    Read More

  • Themes of Love and Hate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

    2103 Words  | 5 Pages

    Themes of Love and Hate in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet is a play about two young lovers, whose love was destined for destruction from the beginning because of hatred. between the two families, Montagues and Capulets. Therefore, Themes of love and hate are very important in the play as the plot is driven by these two themes. Shakespeare brings out the love between the two rivals through Romeo and Juliet and their relationships with the Friar and the Nurse.

    Read More

  • Character Is What You Are In The Dark Character Analysis

    733 Words  | 2 Pages

    The way they relate to each other is in the play “Romeo and Juliet” is Romeo and Juliet both deeply loved each other but Juliet was a Capulet and Romeo was a Montague, the Capulet’s and the Montagues were very, very big enemies. They both had to keep their love for each other very quiet and hidden. They loved each other very much on the inside they were willing to risk the chance of getting caught and them being forbidden to every see each other again. So, the way they related to each other is in the quote “Your true nature is on the inside” is they showed their insides by being willing to risk it because they were deeply in love with each

    Read More

  • Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice And Benedick Comparison

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Shakespeare’s Much Ado about Nothing, there are the usual characters that show up in most of Shakespeare’s pieces. For instance, the characters Hero and Claudio could easily be compared to Romeo and Juliet. Both Hero and Juliet are innocent, quiet, and beautiful young women who fall in love instantly without conversing with the other person. Likewise, Claudio and Romeo decide to marry these women within twenty-four hours. Beatrice and Benedick are both witty characters; neither ever lets the other say anything without countering it with a pun or criticism. Much ado about Nothing has focused on the two love stories between Benedick-Beatrice and Claudio-Hero. The Claudio- Hero and the Benedick- Beatrice love stories are interwoven in Much Ado about Nothing through a series of parallels and contrasts in characterization, in dialogue, and in plot structure.

    Read More

  • Love in Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare

    1211 Words  | 3 Pages

    ... look into the depth of the play, the reader understands that it was not real love reigning in the lives of the young people. Even the name of the comedy confirms this idea. Much ado about nothing - that was the best description of the development of the events. "Every principal person has become involved in an error," said Bertrand Evans. The final marriage was an error, too. Although people have different opinions about real love, there is one thing that is always common about this subject: love comes once, it never leaves, never fades, never causes doubts. When two people experience real love, they fly in the skies, but at the same time they are always ready to stand firm on the ground of every day life. Hero and Claudio never stand firm, when Bene*censored* and Beatrice never fly. Although love is the main topic of the play, it never appears in the plot.

    Read More

  • True Love in Romeo and Juliet

    798 Words  | 2 Pages

    Romeo and Juliet is a romantic love story about a young lad named Romeo who has fallen in love with Lady Juliet, but is unable to marry her because of a long-lasting family feud. The play ends in the death of both these characters and the reunion of the friendship between the families. Romeo is in love with Juliet, and this is a true, passionate love (unlike the love Paris has for her or the love Romeo had for Rosaline) that nothing can overcome, not even the hatred between their two families that is the reason for the death of their two children. Throughout the play, Shakespeare thoroughly explores the themes of both true love and false love and hatred. Without either of these themes, the play would loose its romantic touch and probably would not be as famous as it is today.

    Read More

  • Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Shakespeare in Love

    1781 Words  | 4 Pages

    William Shakespeare has provided some of the most brilliant plays to ever be performed on the stage. He is also the author of numerous sonnets and poems, but he is best known for his plays such as Hamlet, Macbeth, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. In this essay I would like to discuss the play and movie, "Romeo and Juliet", and also the movie, Shakespeare in Love. The play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is set in the fictional city of Verona. Within the city lives two families, the Capulets and the Montegues, who have been feuding for generations.

    Read More

  • Foil Characters In Much Ado About Nothing

    666 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the play “Much Ado About Nothing” by William Shakespeare, is a comedy about how love is confusing and can be both funny and dangerous. The play takes place in Messina, Italy in 1598 in a span of a week. Two cousins named Beatrice and Hero, fall in love two officers named Benedick and Claudio. After teasing between Beatrice and Benedick, and assumptions between Hero and Claudio, they end up getting married. Bt in the beginning of their relationships, the way they handle situations and react to them are completely different from one another.

    Read More

  • Romeo And Juliet And Much Ado About Nothing Comparative Essay

    724 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shakespeare’s classics Much Ado About Nothing and Romeo and Juliet are both tales of love and misfortune. More so one than the other, but there are still dissatisfying situations in the more light-hearted one. There are various similarities and differences in both plays, throughout the beginning, middle, and end. Firstly, at the start of each story, we immediately see how different the plays will be--Romeo and Juliet begins with a sorrow-filled outcome of what has just occurred, and Much Ado About Nothing starts with celebration and happiness for what is to come. These commencements provide a base for each story, to show what they will turn out to be. As we progress a little further into the plays, we begin to see how the characters interact with each other. In Romeo and Juliet,

    Read More

  • Shakespeare Love Life Analysis

    982 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 16th century there was a man named William Shakespeare. Shakespeare was an author that wrote many plays and poems. Shakespeare was also even an actor and acted in some of his own plays. Some of his plays and poems are more famous than others. William Shakespeare was not really famous but then became really famous after he died. Some of his plays and poems are romantic. His love life was strange because he was forced to marry someone at the age of 18 due to an arranged marriage. Some of his plays and poems are probably about love that he never got to feel and or wish he had. William Shakespeare’s love life affected the way he wrote his plays and poems.

    Read More

  • The Peace Treaty of Love

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...tside influences, and actions. They know each other well, have the support of their friends and family, and act as a real couple does. However, Romeo and Juliet do not know each other well, often making impulsive decisions because of this. Being from enemy families, they hide their marriage. Furthermore, they do not act like real people by frequenting the use of poems in casual speech among other imaginative actions. This couple does not share the same kind of bond as Beatrice and Benedick because of their marriage's fantastical elements. Just as Dr. King said is possible, both couples start as enemies and are united together by love. Although they both prove that love can unite the most bitter enemies, one of the two loves is deeper. Despite the steryotype that Romeo and Juliet have a perfect relationship, Beatrice and Benedick's is much stronger and more realistic.

    Read More

More about Comparing Romeo and Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing

Open Document