William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as a Play Of Opposites In the play Romeo & Juliet, William Shakespeare utilizes opposites in both the thoughts and actions of the characters in Romeo and Juliet. Outlined are contrasts of crime and violence versus peace and law, love versus hate, and young versus old. The uses of crime & violence versus peace and law are demonstrated in Act 3, Scene 1. Tybalt and Mercutio exchange remarks back and forth, when Benvolio steps in and encourages them to stop. Mercutio: Consort? What, dost thou make us minstrels? And thou make minstrels of us, look to hear nothing but discords. Here my fiddlestick, here that shall make you dance. Zounds, consort! Benvolio: We talk here in the public haunt of men. Either withdraw unto some private place, Or reason coldly of your grievances, Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us. Mercutio: Men eyes were made to look, and let them gaze. I will not budge for no man pleasure, I. This is just a small sampling of crime and violence versus peace and law. Later in this scene, Mercutio challenges Tybalt in a duel, then when Mercutio is slain, Romeo goes on to challenge Tybalt, killing him. If Mercutio, Tybalt and Romeo would have listened to Benvolio, the fights would have not occurred, and the outcome of the play would be changed. An example of love versus hate occurs through the relationship Romeo and Juliet and the hate between their families. The love that Romeo and Juliet share completely opposes the deep roots of anger and hate between their parents. The quote from the Chorus best states this. Chorus: Two houses, both alike in dignity ?From ancient grudge break to new mutiny ?A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life: Whose misadventured piteous overthrows, Doth with their death bury their parents?strife. The sincere and strong love of Romeo and Juliet contrasts with the extreme, petty grudges held by their parents. The love between Romeo Montague and Juliet Capuletnd their love through their deathsrought
Thought the play, these lovers go through many obstacles that range from arranging a wedding and finding a time to meet to Juliet trying to get out of marrying Paris. The entire time fate is tossing them around. Romeo realizes this after he kills Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, in a brawl. At first, Romeo does not want to fight because Romeo and Juliet are already married at this time and he knows that they are cousins. Tybalt asks for a brawl from Romeo but Mercutio fights instead. Mercutio gets killed by Tybalt and that is what makes Romeo mad and fight Tybalt.
The reader realizes this when the prologue states, “Two households, both alike in dignity/ In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, / From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,/ Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean./ From forth the fatal loins of these two foes/ A pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life” (I 1-6). This translates to say two families have been rivals for many years. Romeo and Juliet are two from separate rivaling families that fall in love. The reader can acknowledge that these two individuals meet one another due to fate. However, they know that because of their parents’ hatred of each other, they can never be together. “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” (I v138-140). A decision is made that the only way to be happy is to take their lives. As soon as the play begins, the audience can foresee a tragic ending because of the language used.
Mercutio's prankster personality plus Tybalt's hatred of all Montagues instigates the common end to three very different characters. Romeo does not wish to draw a sword, and therefore becomes the peacemaker. "Gentlemen, for shame! Forbear this outrage!" (III, i, 82). Under Romeo's peacekeeping arm, Tybalt thrusts his rapier, and Mercutio curses both Montagues and Capulets. "I am hurt. A plague a both houses! I am sped" (III, i, 86-88). To Mercutio, destiny is not the cause of his death, but rather specific people brought about his fatality. His behavior is static as he teases while being carried away by
The sun and the moon have nothing in common with each other and nor do the Capulets and the Montagues. The usage of opposites in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is to illustrate the Capulets’ and the Montagues’ polarity.
Shakespeare sets III i, in a public place. He establishes at the start of the scene that "The day is hot, the capels are abroad. " Mercutio is in an argumentative mood and irritable because of the heat. He makes accusations that are apparent nonsense, that Benvolio is a troublemaker. " Thou art like one of these fellows that when he enters the confines of a tavern, claps me his sword upon the table.
In the play “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare, the author portrays certain themes of antithesis that are outlined from the play. The major form that we have interpreted from the play is love and hate or that of violence and peace. These themes are portrayed strongly in many scenes of Romeo and Juliet, and it is what keeps the plot going. Shakespeare may have wanted to show how hate and love, violence and peace, can lead to something that is great in the
...tio scorns Romeo, "If love be rough with you, be rough with love; /Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down/Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover! /Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh, /Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied" (I.iv.27-28, II.1.7-9). This proves that even though they might be friends, both Romeo and Mercutio have opposing aspect to love. Romeo at beginning was all sad, which led him to his death, while Mercutio mockery drives him to his own death. These two friends died due to their much desire of love or their childish way of mockery in relationships.
Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet uses opposing forces to express the differences and problems splitting Verona. He uses themes of Life and death, Light and dark, young and old, free will and fate and many other themes that are constantly being brought up throughout the play. Shakespeare used many of these opposing forces and sonnets as at the time he wrote the play this was very big and popular among the people.
The Idea of Antithesis in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. In this essay I am going to look at how antitheses are a big part and how they are central to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. There are many antitheses and oxymorons in the play and I will be examining how they are used and how they drive the play on, entertaining and involving. the audience.
Shakespeare has been know for many plays but one of his famous one is “Romeo and Juliet” Which has two teens from rivalling families who fell in love with each other but through misunderstandings and not well thought out plans by their mentors led to both Romeo and Juliet’s death by suicide. There were many ways that these “Star-crossed lovers” could avoided their fate with more thought out ideas and bring more people into their plans but untimely they died from plans from their mentors. What is the Relationship between Romeo and Juliet parents? Well Romeo’s relationship with his parents is they care for him very deeply. His mother was very relieved when he was not at the quarreled in the market. “O, where is Romeo?/Saw him today?/Right glad
In the classic romantic tale of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, the main characters, Romeo and Juliet are deeply in love with each other, but from the beginning of the play we know that they would never be able to be together because of family disputes. When reading the prologue, it says “Two households, both alike in dignity, from ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean” (Shakespeare Prologue.1-4). Before the play even starts, we know how much these families hate each other and that blood is involved with a bad ending for all. Romeo comes from the Montague’s, and Juliet comes from the Capulet’s. These two families were in war with each other from the beginning of the story and these family disputes play a huge role in the death of Romeo and Juliet. Romeo has a passion for love that is unbreakable and he will do anything to get who he wants no matter the consequences that might follow. An example of this is
It is fascinating how the most famous plays in history have the most tragic endings. They are not what we would imagine a normal fairy tale ending to be like. In the play, Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet are portrayed as star-crossed lovers. In the opening scene, the chorus states that Romeo and Juliet are two young lovers from opposing families who were destined to fall in love and eventually die together. Juliet’s parents have the perfect life planned for Juliet. She has the perfect fiancé, she was going to have a great family, and live happily until the day she died. But then it was love at first sight for Romeo and Juliet. They both know it was the wrong thing to do, but they went with it. Despite their best intentions to be together and to change their fate, the play proves that there destiny’s are predetermined.
Romeo and Juliet as a Play About Love Romeo and Juliet is a story about love, hate and death. It is a romantic play but also contains sexual and slightly comedic aspects. From all these themes there are two of them that carry more importance. than any other, love and hate. Romeo and Juliet was initiated as a play by Arthur Brooke, which was intended to tell children not to disobey their parents.
The hatred between the Montagues’ and the Capulates’ are also working against the couple. While Romeo and Juliet are seemingly deeply in love, the rest of their families were continually battling it out, with death usually being the end result. How could two lovers keep a relationship together with so much violence and hated without totally abandoning their families? I feel that this is another example that the couple wasn’t deeply in love. This hate is shown with several “battle” scenes between the two families.
love for him, "be but sworn my love, And I'll no longer be a Capulet."