Romeo and Juliet: The Theme of Death
Slash, cling, clank these are the sounds that are heard in a sword fight as a man is killed. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the theme death is portrayed many times by the characters Marcutio, Romeo, and
Juliet.
The first instance of the theme death was in act 3 when Marcutio challenged Tybalt to a sword fight. "Ask for me tomorrow, and you shall find a grave man."(Act three, scene 1, line 104.) Also as Marcutio is dying he says
"Help me into some house, Benvolio, Or I shall Faint." (Act 3, scene 1, line
113.) Both these quotes show how Marcutio portrayed the theme death. Second,
Romeo is the next to portray the theme death.
Now in Act 5, this is the time that Romeo shows the theme death. He has heard of Juliet's death and is so heartbroken that he goes to an apothecary to get poison so he can join Juliet in heaven. "To Juliet's grave; for there must I use thee." (Act 5, scene 1, line 93). Second when Romeo is about to drink the poison he says, "Here's to my love! [Drinks.] O true apothecary!
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die. [Falls.]" (Act 5, scene 3, line
122). These quote show how Romeo loves Juliet. So much he will die to be with her." The next quotes show how Juliet's feelings are mutual to Romeo's.
After Juliet wakes up from her death like coma she sees Romeo's dead corpse and notices that he had never got the message from the friar. "O churl!
Drunk all, and left no friendly drop to help me after? I will kiss his lips.
Haply some poison yet doth hang on them. To make me die with a restorative."
The next quote shows how the poison has no effect on Juliet, and how she is so desperate to be with Romeo she will stab herself. "O happy dagger! [Snatches
Romeo's dagger.] This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die. [She stabs
Juliet strategizes her disastrous plan and worries, “How if, when I am laid into the tomb, I wake before the time that Romeo come to redeem me?” (Lines 30-32 of Act Four, Scene Three). Juliet is desperate to see Romeo, ergo she plans to fake her death. Her thoughts of Romeo finding her lifeless foreshadows their future. Romeo is deprived of the news of Juliet’s real state of health, therefore he says, “Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight. O mischief, thou art swift to enter the thoughts of desperate men!” (Lines 34-36 of Act Five, Scene One). Once again, Romeo’s perception is only focused on Juliet. His mental instability leads him to think Paris is in the way obtaining true happiness, thus he slays him. Romeo acquires poison, stands beside Juliet, and states, “Here’s to my love! (Drinks.) O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.” (Lines 119-120 of Act Five, Scene Three). Romeo observes Juliet’s body and determines that he should die beside her. Juliet wakes to his lifeless body, and determines she should commit suicide, as well. Romeo’s foolish decisions lead to the death of himself and
...se he believes Juliet to dead, drinks poison to take his own life as a last resort. What Romeo is unaware of is that Juliet is very much alive, so it is very ironic when he says, “Death, that has sucked the honey of thy breath,/ Hath had no power yet upon thy beauty:/ Thou art not conquered; beauty’s ensign yet/ Is crimson in thy lips and in thy cheeks,/ And death’s pale flag is not advanced there” (V iii 101-105). This is fate in the works in the play. When Juliet sees that her love has not rescued her and rather is dead, she kills herself with a dagger found in the proximity. “O happy dagger/ This is thy sheath; there rust and let me die” (V iii 182-183).
where Romeo seeks his dead love. When Romeo sees Juliet dead he instantly falls apart
...re her fake dead body is kept, and drinks the poison he brought with him, hastily, without giving it a second thought, assuming that Juliet was dead and that he might not be able to live without her. However, Juliet wakes up at the moment when Romeo falls dead on her lap and she exclaims, “Poison, I see, hath been his timeless end” (5.3.167), signifying the untimely death of Romeo that occurred due to his unnecessary haste.
The Way Juliet Feels in Act 3 Scene 2 of William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
soothes the family of the loss of young Juliet's life (Act IV, Scene 5, Line 65).
(Act 1 Scene 4), Thane of Cawdor for his service. It was during this scene,
This quote shows how Juliet has let go of any desire to live. She is so in love with Romeo that she chooses that she would rather die than live without Romeo.... ... middle of paper ... ...
as a man is killed. In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare the
abbey and into the churchyard”, from act 2 scene 6. Act 2 scene 6 is
Juliet receives a vial containing a potion from Friar Lawrence, who has a plan that will make Juliet appear as if she is dead, so that when she awakens, she will unite with Romeo. Juliet considers several consequences before drinking the potion, such as losing her sanity or being buried alive. Despite her reasoning, she summons the courage to drink the potion, exclaiming “Romeo, Romeo, Romeo! Here’s drink. I drink to thee” (Shakespeare 4.4.58). Instead of Juliet making a logical decision to avoid drinking the potion, she follows through with her emotions. Juliet has an obsession with Romeo, in which she is willing to take a risk on the assumption that Romeo will be there when she awakens. She recklessly abandons the fears she once had because her logic is clouded by her immense feelings for Romeo. Fears such as the friar poisoning the potion are quite realistic, since he wants to avoid suffering punishment for secretly marrying two teenagers from rival families. Juliet is so deeply lost in her emotions that she is prompted to take her own life into her hands. Infatuation can take control of someone and cause one to make rash judgements, similar to the one Juliet makes by drinking this potion for Romeo. The couple’s infatuation is seen again when Romeo
William Shakespeare introduces the reader to one of the main characters, who is describing their love at a banquet. Shakespeare’s passage in Act 1 Scene 5 conveys a foreshadow of death, that affects the way Romeo thinks about love, in order to understand its divineness.
to light that it is a false death. Romeo rushes to her side to murder
Act 2 Scene 1 Page 297 Line 69-70: "Whiles I threat, he lives: / Words to the
The Capulets send out an illiterate servant to deliver invitations for a party, who just so happens to ask Romeo for help, ‘can you read anything you see?’ (1.2.60). This encounter originally encourages Romeo to attend the party in hopes of seeing Rosaline, but he ends up meeting Juliet, who he falls madly in love with, ‘did my heart love till now?’ (1.5.51), even though by social relation she happens to be his ‘great enemy’ (1.5.136). It is quite an ironic coincident that Romeo goes to the party to find Rosaline, the girl he loved to find Juliet, the girl he loves so much that he dies for her. Romeo’s response to the servant, ‘Ay, mine own fortune in my misery’ (1.2.58), could be interpreted as him recognising fate playing a role of misery his love life. A series of unlucky coincidences involve Romeo not receiving Friar Laurence’s letter in Mantua, causing Romeo much distress, which led him to buy poison from an Apothecary who, coincidentally, sells it to Romeo only because ‘my poverty, but not my will, consents’ (5.2.75). Romeo arrives at the tomb to find Juliet “dead”, provoking him to drink the poison, ‘Here’s to my love!’ (5.3.119). Moments later, Juliet wakes up to realise Romeo is dead and she too is prepared to ‘die with a restorative’ (5.3.166). Curtesy to fate, the Friar’s letter did not reach Romeo in Mantua which encouraged Romeo to buy poison, which it had to be from an Apothecary in need of money. This led to another unfortunate coincidence of Romeo killing himself by Juliet's side just moments before she woke up. The many coincidences that take place throughout the play are clear examples to prove that Romeo and Juliet lived their entire lives according to their predetermined