Samson, Gregory, and the Herdsmen in Romeo and Juliet and Caius Marius
Throughout Shakespeare’s plays, there are minor characters that often occur for only one scene. These characters have a short dialogue which seems rather meaningless to the play; however, these dialogues usually foreshadow or summarize events and themes of the play. Although they have little effect on the movement of the play, they give insight into the underlying themes of the play. Comparing these minor characters and their scenes in three different versions of Romeo and Juliet (the Shakepeare edition, the Garrick edition, and Otway’s adaptation, Caius Marius) show the differences in the focus of each version. In the Shakepeare and Garrick versions, the minor characters are Samson and Gregory who appear as the play opens. In Otway’s version, the minor characters are the herdsmen in Act IV.
Samson and Gregory in the Shakespeare Edition
Samson and Gregory appear in Act I, Scene I of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Their playful dialogue sets the tone of the play and addresses one of its key issues, that of the feuding families. This feud leads to the fighting which takes place throughout the play, the first of which is begun by Samson and Gregory, servingmen of Capulet. In the play, most everyone has accepted the fighting between the Monatgues and Capulets, even Romeo battles, but some see the problems with the fighting while others merely fight blindly. Although Samson and Gregory both start the first brawl of the play, the two characters display the aforementioned difference of opinions on fighting. The first to speak, Samson, sees the fighting as something that he must do and he brags about his skill as a tyrant. He begins by saying, "On my word,...
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...light key themes of the play. The Shakespeare version highlights the feud as a source of turmoil and distress. The Garrick, by omitting many passages, emphasizes the fighting instead of the reasoning behind the feud. The Otway, on the other hand, focuses on political strife and reflects the Exclusion Crisis and the threat of civil war in England at the time by reflecting these ideas in the feud. These small, but key passages, are important tools for gaining insight into the themes of the plays.
Works Cited
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Wallace, John M. "Otway’s Caius Marius and the Exclusion Crisis." Modern Philology. 85 (1998): 363-372.
...sm: The Crystallization of a Kinder, Gentler Anti-Black Ideology.” Pp. 15-44 in Racial Attitudes in the 1990s: Continuity and Change, edited by S.A. Tuch and J. Marten. Greenwood, CT: Praeger.
Elsen, Sheldon, and Arthur Rosett. “Protections for the Suspect under Miranda v. Arizona.” Columbia Law Review 67.4 (1967): 645-670. Web. 10 January 2014.
Determined to duel with Romeo, in Act Three, Scene 1, he challenges the Montague but Romeo declines fighting with his brother-in-law, saying:
In this paper I am going to be discussing the Miranda rights. What they mean to you, what they entitle you to, and how they came to be used in law enforcement today. I am discussing this topic because, one it is useful to me as a police officer, two they can be very difficult to understand, and three if they are not read properly to you when you are placed under an arrest it could actually get you off. I will start off by discussing the history and some details of the Miranda case.
Minor characters play a very crucial role in Shakespear's Hamlet. They serve as narrators for events that occurred outside the immediate play: the Dane's ghost. Distinct contrasts are created through the usage of the play's minor characters. The reader gains new perspective on Hamlet's character when he is compared with Laertes. The presence of these minor characters can also have a direct effect on the action of the play. The actors in the play within the play are used to expose the guilt of Claudius; Hamlet then has proof of the King's crimes. The expertise use of these characters - either to exemplify good and purity, or to spread the vile corruption which permeates Elsinore - is one of the main reasons for Hamlet's success as one of the greatest plays ever written.
Hazlitt, William. "Characters of Shakespear's Plays." Henry U. Ed. John Russell Brown. New York: Penguin Books USA, 1988.
While secondary characters are less important than the main characters of the book, they often have a noteworthy impact on the story. In William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a secondary character, Friar Lawrence, plays a vital role throughout the play. The play takes place in Verona and focuses on Romeo and Juliet, two star-crossed lovers from two feuding families; the Montagues and the Capulets. The extremely violent feud between these families has been ongoing for generations, extending out to even the serving men of both houses. Romeo and Juliet must profess their love in secret because of the quarrel between their parents. This is a catalyst in triggering tragic events, consisting of the deaths of many other characters, including themselves. Friar Lawrence plays a crucial role to the action, character development, and themes of Romeo and Juliet.
Paul Cassell, a University of Utah law professor will try to argue the case before the Supreme Court. Mr. Cassell thinks that the Miranda Requirements needs to be loosen. Dickerson v. United States, 530 U.S. 428 (2000) was a case where the courts had to litigate over whether his statements were voluntary and if he waived his Miranda Rights. Mr. Cassell argues h...
Hurwitz, John and Mark Peffely. “Persuasion and Resistance: Race and the Death Penalty in America.” American Journal of Political Science Vol 51.4 (2007): pp. 996-1012.
Firstly, the Capulets and Montagues are at odds with each other. Members of each house and servants break into a sword fight, clashing with each other. Sampson says "Draw, if you be men. Gregory, remember thy swashing blow." (Act 1, Scene 1, Line 60). The feuding between the two families motivates Sampson to challenge the Capulets. Another example of how the two houses despise each other is what Romeo and his friends have to do to get into the Capulet feast. So they will not be recognized, Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio wear comic masks to hide their faces. Mercutio says, "Give me a case to put my visage in" (Act 1, Scene 4, Line 29). They do not want to be recognized because of the hatred between the two houses. Also, Romeo and Juliet are not supposed to be in love: "My only love sprung from my only hate! / Too early seen unknown, and known too late! / Prodigious birth of love it is to me, / That I must love a loathed enemy." says Juliet (Act 1, Scene 5, Lines 137-140). They are not supposed to love each other because it just so happens that each of their houses despise each other. It is unfortunate for Romeo and Juliet that their two families are against each other, because this means that they are not supposed to be married.
Rushin, S. (2011). Rethinking Miranda: The Post-Arrest Right to Silence. California Law Review, 99(1), 151-178. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Miranda also protects suspects from overzealous police officers. Although most law-enforcement agents in the United States are decent men and women, some abuse their power. They may try to coerce suspects into giving false confessions. Time and time again, we read of cases where suspects were forced to make confessions because an overzealous or prejudiced police officers want to close a case. The story of Rubin Hurricane Carter, made popular by the motion picture of the same name, demonstrated how lives could be destroyed when vindictive and manipulating detectives abuse their power. The Miranda Warning helps keep abuses in check. If the law is used correctly, the guilty would receive their due punishment. When police officers inform suspects of their rights before interrogation, it is very unlikely that the judge presiding over any case would throw out statements made during questioning.
Kerschen, Lios. “Critical Essay on ‘Romeo and Juliet’.” Drama for Students. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht. Vol. 21. Detriot: Gale, 2005. Literature Resource Center. Web. 4 Dec 2013.
Sampson and Gregory are itching for a fight as they both believe that they have just as much right to defend the name ‘capulet’ as any other member of the family. So there is also this love for the name and for the fight as though they are children awaiting presents.
The case of AZ v Mauro, a necessary precursor to the case analysis is defining the application of Miranda Rights (Miranda v. Arizona) and the difference between an unlawful or lawful interrogation within the Miranda Rights. The most commonly misinterpreted actions that prompt the need for Miranda, which is only necessary if a formal custody and an interrogation will coincide. When Mirandized or given a Miranda warning informing an individual of their rights against self-incrimination, protected under the Fifth Amendment. These rights advise that the individual being arrested and taken into custody may choose to not answer any incriminating questions (which excludes standard identity or booking questions) without an attorney present. Otherwise