What is a tragedy? Furthermore, what makes something tragic? Often times the tragedy of a situation is debatable, for people have different opinions. In the story of Romeo and Juliet, however, there is no debate; that play is a tragedy. Throughout the entire story, characters made decisions that led to terrible happenings despite the characters’ best intentions. Romeo was one of these characters and although he is an arguably moral human being, he ends up causing great suffering in others. It was his decisions that caused nearly all of the actions which made this play the tragedy it is. The play Romeo and Juliet, furthermore, follows Northrop Frye’s five stages of tragedy, which also confirms its place as a tragic play. Romeo also goes …show more content…
through his five stages as the play develops. Overall, Romeo is a truly tragic and reckless figure in the play Romeo and Juliet, and it is through the reckless decisions he made and the profound suffering he caused in others through his poor decision making that helped to make this play a tragedy. Romeo, the protagonist of the play, gradually reveals his flaw of recklessness and the tragedy of his character due to the decisions he makes. These two factors therefore reveal the tragedy within Romeo’s character because they show that no matter what intentions Romeo had, and no matter the reasoning behind his actions, the end result will stay the same. For example, when killing Tybalt, Romeo had no intention of doing so, for he even previously stated that he loved him. This statement goes: “I do protest I never injured thee, But love thee better than thou canst devise Till thou shalt know the reason of my love; And so, good Capulet, which name I tender As dearly as mine own, be satisfied” (III.i.65-69). This statement proves that when thinking through his actions Romeo was extremely competent, and this statement also proves the recklessness of his actions because Romeo kills somebody he claims to love. He was enraged with Tybalt and, in a moment of recklessness and uttermost rage, he ended a life that he most certainly should not have. It was this underlying rage and the overlying recklessness that both screwed up the dignity of Romeo’s morality and his marriage to Juliet. Moreover, it was the love that Romeo had for Mercutio which drove him to both be a more tragic character and to act so recklessly upon his anger. Another decision which Romeo makes quite recklessly is the decision to end his own life. When Romeo finds out about Juliet’s death, his exact words are: “Is it e’en so? Then I defy you, stars! Thou knowest my lodging. Get me ink and paper And hire post horses. I will hence tonight” (V.i.24-26). Mere hours after hearing his loved one is dead he journeys to find her body so that he may end his own life, a decision which is arguably quite rash. He does not stop to think about the possibility of life without Juliet or the fact that there may be other cards in play. This recklessness makes him a tragic character because had he merely stopped and took one day to gather his thoughts and grieve, he could have lived a long life with Juliet. Nearly all of Romeo’s actions in this play were done quickly and without thought, and it is this rashness that translates into recklessness and caused a majority of this play’s tragedy. Overall, the decisions Romeo made and recklessness with which those decisions were made with make Romeo a tragic character because without that flaw a majority of the play would be different in plot and tragedy. In addition to Romeo’s reckless decisions making him a tragic character, the way in which Romeo’s character is presented also contributes to his place as a tragic character. All throughout this play, Romeo is presented to be a teenager who falls in love quickly and deeply, and it is this instantaneous love which adds to the tragedy that befalls upon Romeo. One day he is in love with a girl named Rosaline and the next day he is marrying Juliet. When speaking about Rosaline Romeo literally says “One fairer than my love? The all-seeing sun Ne’er saw her match since first the world begun” (I.ii.94-95). Then, in no more than twenty-four hours after saying this he speaks of Juliet saying “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (I.v.51-52). This contributes to his stance as a tragic character because it shows that Romeo had a good heart and deserved more in life than what he received. This also contributes to Romeo’s rashness because it shows how quickly Romeo can change his mind. Just as he went from loving Tybalt to killing him, Romeo went from being broken-hearted over Rosaline to swearing he hadn’t loved until he saw Juliet. Furthermore, the love he has for people throughout this play drives him to make those choices that are reckless, but they are reckless for all of the right reasons. Overall, the way Romeo is presented as a character, and the rashness with which his character changes contributes to his stance as a tragic character because it shows the character of his heart and the unfortunate circumstances which overcame him. Romeo, even with good intentions, had a flaw of recklessness which caused his decisions and his actions to cause great suffering at the hand of others.
One example of this is the killing of Tybalt. Besides being a rash and reckless decision, this action caused countless people, some of which were extremely close to Romeo, to suffer. Tybalt’s death alone caused all of the Capulets to suffer at the loss of their beloved relative, and this suffering extended to Romeo’s wife, Juliet, and her Nurse, who were also of the Capulet household. The Nurse expresses her pain and her disliking of Romeo’s actions when she says: “O Tybalt, Tybalt, the best friend I had! O courteous Tybalt! Honest gentleman! That ever I should live to see thee dead!” (III.ii.61-63). This statement shows the obvious pain the Nurse is in, and it shows that she believes Tybalt was a good person and was too young to die. Furthermore, on the other side of things, this action caused all of the Montagues to suffer because of Romeo’s banishment, which was the result of killing Tybalt. At the end of Act V, Romeo’s father, Sir Montague, even reveals that his wife, before even learning of her son’s suicide, killed herself because of the pain she was in from Romeo’s banishment. This statement, made by Romeo’s father, goes: “Alas, my liege, my wife is dead tonight! Grief of my son’s exile hath stopped her breath” (V.iii.210-211). This statement shows that not only did Romeo cause suffering in those who loved Tybalt, but he also caused suffering in those who loved him. That one swing of a sword caused an extreme amount of pain in an extreme amount of people, and all of this suffering was caused by a reckless and rash Romeo who let his anger take control of him. Another example of a decisions Romeo made which caused suffering in others was the marrying of Juliet. This decision indiscreetly caused pain in Juliet, her family, and the Friar. This decision caused pain in the selfish Friar, and he is
selfish because it was the need to save himself that caused his fear and pain. The Friar’s pain comes in Act V when his reputation is at stake and he must lie to defend the honor he believes he deserves. It was Romeo’s decision to marry Juliet, and the decision to use the Friar to do so, which caused the pain in the Friar. All in all, the series of events that led to the children’s suicide started with the secrecy created from that marriage. The Friar doesn’t appear to be guilty about his actions; however, the Friar does experience pain and fear when he realizes what he could lose. This decision also caused pain in Juliet not because she did not love Romeo, but because her family wished for her to love another. Juliet’s pain comes from her parents’ words when she tells them she cannot do what they wish for her to do. She is forced to deny her parents because she is already married to another, and her parents, although they do not know the real reason, do not take the news incredibly well. Her mother literally and without a hint of remorse says to her daughter; “I would the fool were married to her grave!” (III.v.142). This statement, since it is a statement that would cause pain in Juliet, shows that even those which Romeo loved dearly suffered at his hands. Reckon, Romeo did not directly cause the suffering, but it was his rash decision to take his family’s enemy as his wife that caused her suffering.
Romeo and Juliet is widely known to be a tragedy, but what caused the atrocity for which it is so renowned? Some may argue fate was to blame for Romeo’s and Juliet’s deaths, that the situations these young lovers faced were depicted as being out of their control. Could Romeo have refused to attend the Capulet masque? Was Romeo destined to duel the raging Tybalt? Did Romeo and Juliet truly have to kill themselves? If one considers the specific circumstances and causes of these situations, the fact that all scenarios are the result of choice rather than chance, and the notion that the characters were never left without options, only one conclusion can be determined. It was unarguably the decisions made by characters, not those made by fate, that were responsible for the tragedy in Romeo and Juliet.
Did you know that Romeo and Juliet was one of the biggest love story of all time. Romeo and Juliet is a story of two star-crossed lovers from two families the Capulets and the Montagues. The Capulets and the Montague had a big fight that made the families very angry at each other. Romeo and Juliet decide to get married. The two couple marry and run away. In the process both of them will die. When it comes to Romeo and Juliet who are the top three people that caused the two to die. The two people that are chosen are Friar Lawrence and Lady Capulet. Friar was chosen because he is the one that married Romeo and Juliet. Lady Capulet was chosen because she is forcing Juliet to marry Paris which is making Juliet want Romeo even more. The third thing
A tragedy is : a dramatic composition, often in verse, dealing with a serious or somber theme, typically involving a great person destined to experience downfall or utter destruction, as through a character flaw or conflict with some overpowering force, as fate or an unyielding society. Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy in which the great person or character caught up in downfall and utter destruction is Romeo. Romeo’s utter destruction as a tragic figure is the suffering around him. All of this suffering and tragedy in Romeo and Juliet can be traced back to Romeo or the grudge between the Montagues and the Capulets. Romeo is the most tragic figure in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, so he is the leading cause to all suffering to other characters.
A tragedy in a play or film should include the progression from happiness to the downfall of someone, where they express all their sentiments and fears. This is relevant to the play of Romeo. and Juliet as when Romeo kills Tybalt. He realises his downfall and expresses his emotions and fear. I am a Tybalt's entrance in the play gives the audience a clear and lasting impression.
What do you define a tragic hero as? In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is seen as tragic hero by Aristotle’s tragic hero characteristics. The six tragic hero characteristics are having noble greatness, being imperfect, having a downfall that is partially their own fault, their misfortune is not wholly deserved, fall is not pure loss, and some good has come from the hero’s death. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Romeo is a tragic hero because he has noble stature or greatness, his downfall is partially his fault, and some good has come from his death.
Romeo and Juliet is a play by William Shakespeare that tells the tale of two young lovers who come from opposing families. At first they don’t even know that the other exists; However, that all changes one night at a party that Juliet’s father, Lord Capulet, throws. Romeo and Juliet fall madly in love and rush to get married. Sadly, these two don’t get a happy ending, and one question remains: who or what is to blame for the lovers’ tragic end? Is it fate or human choice?
A tragedy imitates the emotional events of life by showing instead of telling. It does not have to be an exact replication of life, but instead have some realistic aspects to it. This type of play is special because an event in the plot is caused by a preceding choice or action performed by the character. Therefore, unlike a story where occurrences are caused by coincidences, a tragedy must have events that inescapably connect to one another as a result of the characters’ choices. Consequently, this idea of cause and effect must direct the plot of the play until the protagonists have an unfortunate end. Thus, the audience watching the tragedy will experience fear and pity for the characters since their actions will lead to their dramatic downfall. Similarily, William Shakespeare’s, Romeo and Juliet, conveys these fundamental ideas, but it mainly emphasizes on certain tragic concepts. These components, explained by Aristotle, certainly make this play a quintessence of tragedy. They support the chain of events in Romeo and Juliet by using character traits and majors events to connect the plot and illustrate how the characters create their own ending. For this reason, Romeo and Juliet is a genuine tragedy because of its use of significant, tragic elements; tragically-flawed protagonists; and inevitable fate.
It is often believed that fate plays a role in the end result of peoples’ lives, however, in this tale of star-crossed lovers, fate is not the case. Three characters are to blame for the deaths of Romeo and Juliet in William Shakespeare’s play Romeo and Juliet. They are Friar Lawrence, Lord Capulet and Romeo. Friar Lawrence is the first character responsible for the deaths of the two young lovers because of his immoral actions. Romeo Montague constantly acts too hastily which never works in his favour or any of the other characters. Lord Capulet brings about the deaths of Romeo and Juliet because he doesn’t stay true to his promises. Friar Lawrence, Lord Capulet, and Romeo Montague all have character faults that majorly contribute to the catastrophe in the play.
Why might anyone kill true happiness? This was the case for Romeo and Juliet. There is no doubt that their death was tragic and horrible; however, the question is who is to blame for their death. Their death was simply on them they are the true people to blame. The story begins with the two family’s Montague and Capulet they rivaled each other and got in lots of fights. Soon after Romeo shows up in the scene when the pore heart broken Romeo from just breaking up with Roseline. From there the heartbroken Romeo goes to a party to get over it. Then Romeo soon meets Juliet and they become a thing. The new couple are wed secretly and only the friar and Juliet's nurse knew. Then after Romeo kill tybalt and is forced to
There are many tragedies to be found in literature, but only a few are like Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It is a story of forbidden love in which a young couple are torn apart by their families’ feud in Renaissance Italy; the play’s tragic ending has both main characters die. Many aspects of this play have sparked a heated debate: is Romeo and Juliet a tragedy or is it simply tragic? Some critics claim that the play lacks elements that are necessary for a tragedy. Yet Aristotle explicitly states the essential components of a tragedy in his Poetics, and Romeo and Juliet meets those requirements. Romeo and Juliet can be considered an Aristotelian tragedy because of Romeo’s impetuousness, Juliet’s loyalty to Romeo, and the play’s peripeteia.
Many people think that society has changed so much over the years. That the way that children act, has taken a turn for the worst, but in reality children are learning from their ancestors. Children are lying to their parents, they are sneaking out at night to be with a boy that is “the one”, children are going back into the age of Shakespeare. In the play “Romeo and Juliet” which was written by William Shakespeare in 1597, there are two teenagers, Romeo and Juliet, who fall in love with each other. These two teenagers try to do everything that they can to live the rest of their lives together, except their families despise each other, so there is no way that they can live the rest of their lives together. So, many people believe that the way that our children are growing up today is taking away the fun parts of their childhood. However in this play Juliet did many of the things that teenagers are trying to do now. Children and sometimes adults now need to realize how your actions not only affect you but also the people around you, you also need to think about the consequences of the actions you make. At first Juliet falls in love at first sight with Romeo, then she takes a potion, which causes her family to think she is dead, and then how Friar Lawrence helps Juliet with the scheming, which shows how adults have to think about others as well.
As shown in the book hasty decisions lead to bad things. William Shakespeare has also mentioned this multiple times. There are numerous examples of this in his play Romeo and Juliet. Nevertheless impulsive choices make up most of this well known writing. These decisions are made by various characters and in different ways.
Everyone is to blame for the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo, Juliet, Friar Laurence, and Romeo and Juliet’s parents all played their own role in causing the four deaths of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, and Paris. It is not just one of them to blame, every one of them did something to cause the tragedy. Some of them played a bigger role than others, but everyone contributed. Fate had nothing to do with it and it was all the different characters faults. Romeo, Juliet, and Friar Lawrence’s rash decisions where the main cause of the tragedy.
The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare is a tragic play filled with death. Any tragedy needs a tragic hero, and that hero is Romeo. In order for a character to be classified as a tragic hero they must be dignified and high ranking, have a flaw which leads to their eventual downfall, and gain self-knowledge or wisdom although they are defeated. Romeo possesses all of these traits. Romeo Montague is the tragic hero of Romeo and Juliet.
What is tragedy? Aristotle defines tragedy: "A tragedy must not be the spectacles of a perfect good man brought to adversity. For this merely stock us" (1). Not in every play where a hero dies is considered a tragedy. Also, "Nor, of course, must it be that of a bad man passing from adversity to prosperity: for that is not tragedy at all, but the perversion of tragedy, and revolts moral sense". Further "Nor, again, should it exhibit the downfall of an utter villain pity is aroused by undeserved misfortunes, terror by misfortunes befalling a man like ourselves". "There remains, then, as the only proper subject for tragedy, the spectacle of a man not absolutely or eminently good or wise, who is brought to disaster not by sheer depravity but by some error or frailty". "Lastly, this man must be highly renowned and prosperous-and Oedipus, a Thyestes, or some other illustrious person" (Quiller-Couch 1). "A tragedy, he tells us, is a play in which the chief characters experience a change from good fortune to bad, and in a comedy, alternately, the change is from bad to good" (Fallon, Themes 210). The tragedy in Macbeth is between friends, but the tragedy in Hamlet occurs within the family.