Shakespeare Influence On Romeo And Juliet

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It’s important for those studying English literature to study the classics and classic authors such as Shakespeare. Even today Shakespeare’s work remains relevant and influences many new upcoming writers today. Shakespeare’s works will always be important because they depict a wide variety/range of human emotion accurately, tells what are often relatable and universal stories, and he formed the basis our modern day English language. For us to understand Shakespeare’s work we must first know more about his background. Not much actually is known about Shakespeare’s early life such as his birth. But According to the Folger Shakespeare Library, Shakespeare’s birthday was likely April 23, 1564 because he was baptized on April 26, 1564. His father …show more content…

It’s regarded as the most famous love story in English literature. Love is the story’s dominant theme and most important emotion. Shakespeare depicts and focusses mainly on the passion that comes from love at first sight. He depicts love as a force that can overpower loyalties and many other feelings/emotions. Juliet states that Romeo should “deny thy father and refuse thy name” to show his loyalty to their love over anything else. Shakespeare then presents the chaos and effects their passion causes such Romeo’s best friend Mercutio dying as a result of the feuding families. He may or may not be foreshadowing this when Mercutio and Romeo are discussing the nature and burden of love. According to Romeo love “is too rough, too rude, too [boisterous], and it pricks like thorn. (1.4.25-26) While Romeo’s bet friend Mercutio says it’s “too great oppression for a tender thing. (1.4.24) The two friends describe love in violent, painful terms. Gang related warfare is depicted as a feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. Romeo and Mercutio’s bond resembles ideal friendships people can relate to. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet consists of a multitude of emotions and relatable concepts. Popular movies such as Romeo Must Die, West Side Story, Step Up, China Girl, and Underworld are all inspired by concepts introduced in Romeo and …show more content…

The story has themes such as fate vs free will and misinterpretations. In The Tragedy of Julius Caesar questions of fate and mankind’s free will. Cassius, one of the anti-Caesar conspirators, believes accepting Caesar’s rule as fate is nothing short of cowardice. Cassius confides in Brutus, a close friend of Caesar and co-conspirator, and says: “Men at some time were masters of their fate. The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves, that we are underlings”. (1.2.140-142) Cassius doesn’t believe in fate and seems to see it as a coward’s excuse to not fight for themselves. Julius Caesar on the other hand seems to believe fate and free will coexist as does the story itself. Caesar demonstrates this belief saying: “it seems to me most strange that men should fear, seeing that death, a necessary end, will come when it will come”. (2.2.35-37) Caesar believe that there are things beyond human control and to fear the inevitable is worse than death. In the story characters often fail to interpret omens they come against correctly. Cicero says, “Men may construe things after their fashion, clean from the purpose of the things themselves”. (1.3.34-35). The omens presented the night before Caesar appears at the Senate are read inaccurately. Cassius believes the omen

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