...Though Romeo and Juliet is arguably the most stereotypical love story in the English language, it portrays with a specific kind of love: young, irrational, passionate love. In this play Shakespeare ultimately suggests that, that type of love that Romeo and Juliet feel leads lovers to act out in a selfish isolation from the world around them. The two lovers anticipate officializing their marriage, but it does not define their love. Instead, their young lust is one of the main reasons why their relationship grows so intense so fast. But through all of their love and intense lust their families were still in the dark about the two of them being together and still budding heads even turn they take. Love versus hate and the many forms love takes; its power to challenge hate; the assurance of young love; the irrationality of hate and its capacity to destroy. The tragedy in Romeo and Juliet is that the two lover struggle with the fact that their families have been in a century-long feud. Like different tragedies, which ends in fatality, this play end is the death of the "star-crossed lovers." Throughout the play it creates strong feelings, or moods. In Act Five, Scene Three of Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare uses imagery, symbolism, and irony to create such a tragic mood....
Words: 798 - Pages: 4
...This story of star-crossed lovers is one of William Shakespeare’s tenderest dramas. Shakespeare is sympathetic toward Romeo and Juliet, and in attributing their tragedy to fate, rather than to a flaw in their characters, he raises them to heights near perfection, as well as running the risk of creating pathos, not tragedy. They are both sincere, kind, brave, loyal, virtuous, and desperately in love, and their tragedy is greater because of their innocence. The feud between the lovers’ families represents the fate that Romeo and Juliet are powerless to overcome. The lines capture in poetry the youthful and simple passion that characterizes the play. One of the most popular plays of all time, Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare’s second tragedy (after Titus Andronicus of 1594, a failure). Consequently, the play shows the sometimes artificial lyricism of early comedies such as Love’s Labour’s Lost 1594-1595, . 1598) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (. 1595-1596, . 1600), while its character development predicts the direction of the playwright’s artistic maturity. In Shakespeare’s usual fashion, he based his story on sources that were well known in his day: Masuccio Salernitano’s Novellino (1475), William Painter’s The Palace of Pleasure (1566-1567), and, especially, Arthur Brooke’s poetic The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562). Shakespeare reduces the time of the action from the months it takes in Brooke’s work to a few compact days. In addition to following the conventional...
Words: 1214 - Pages: 5
...English Essay- Evolution of Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare’s well-known play, Romeo and Juliet addresses the ill-fated love of two young children from feuding households set in Verona. Even though they are both children and Juliet is younger than Romeo, they both mature at different rates and ways. In addition, they are very different characters. Romeo is withdrawn, whereas Juliet is bold and brave. The differences go on and are made more obvious as the play progresses. This essay will highlight these differences and how they evolve as characters through the course of this play. Both the characters strike us as very different when we meet them for the first time. Romeo is recovering from his unrequited love. He is shown to be pining with love for a woman called Rosaline. He seems very immature in the beginning as he loses track of time and he stays in a dark room throughout the day due to his love-sickness. The play's emphasis on characters' eyes and the act of looking accords with Romeo's role as a blind lover who doesn't believe that there could be another lady more fair than his Rosaline. Romeo denies that he could be deluded by love, the "religion" of his eye. This zeal, combined with his rejection of Benvolio's advice to find another love to replace Rosaline, highlights Romeo's immaturity as a lover. We immediately feel as though his feelings are not real love, it is more of a infatuation. Romeo is in love with the concept of being in love. Juliet on the other hand is more...
Words: 1446 - Pages: 6
...such beautiful pieces of literature in the form of tragedies. There are several elements of Shakespearean tragedy. For example, Tragic hero, Tragic(Fatal) flaw, Internal and external conflict, Comic relief, The supernatural, The abnormality, Revenge, and Death etc. I am going to take a look at some of the elements of Shakespearean tragedy used in very famous plays, 'Hamlet' and 'Romeo and Juliet'. First of all, a 'Tragic flaw', by definition, is a personality trait that leads to the downfall of the protagonist. Hamlet is well aware of his fatal flaw from the beginning, he constantly questions himself on why he continues to delay the fulfillment of his duty. Hamlet finally acts to kill Claudius only after realizing that he is poisoned. But by putting off, his tragic flaw, leads to multiple death such as Polonius, Ophelia, Gertrude, Laertes, Rosencrantz, and Guildenstern and himself, too. Second, Use of 'supernatural' elements is one of common characteristics of the Elizabethan drama. In Hamlet, the ghost of Hamlet's father who tells his son to avenge his death is introduced as a supernatural. Supernatural powers contribute to the fate of the protagonist. However, this is not solely responsible for the downfall of the hero, it still lies in the actions of the hero. These actions are the outcome of the protagonist's feeling of revenge. Next, in Romeo and Juliet, a major external conflict throughout...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...Poison Shakespeare uses Romeo’s monologue (Act 1, scene 5) with intent of foreshadowing a tragedy upcoming in the play; where he is left to his own devices. The deliberate usage of “dove trooping with crows”, an oxymoron highlights to the reader the bad in something that appears eye-catching. Such as when he first spots Juliet, he’s infatuated by her “beauty too rich” referring to her enticing physical appearance, but loses sight of her kinship. Something that he doesn't question, although it physically destroys him in the end. Moreover, use of the word “crows” is effective in foreshadowing; as crows are thought of as a bad omen according to the Greeks, and indicative of an individual's forthcoming death. Alternatively, “dove trooping with crows” could be referring to Juliet metaphorically. It reinforces the fact that something so elegant and pure such as a “dove” could carry the burden of death caused by the Capulet family name. Thus making this brief encounter symbolizes their tumultuous relationship, that will be made so by the powers that suppress them - their families. The idea of inconsistency in relationships is also featured in The Laboratory, linking with the relationship between the narrator and her poison. In which we learn she feels fondly about at the start referring to it as “exquisite” and soft”, proving her passion for...
Words: 1431 - Pages: 6
...went to go see Love’s Labour’s Lost. Having read many Shakespearean plays I was somewhat aware of what to expect from today’s play. I had not, however, read Love’s Labour’s Lost before. So after the opening scene I was pleased to find out that the play was in fact a comedy. I was not pleased, though, with the length. Also, three hours watching a play isn’t my ideal way to spend a Sunday afternoon. This doesn’t mean, however, that there weren’t certain parts of the play that I enjoyed. It was impressive how all of the actors were able to memorize/improvise all of their lines without a notable mess-up. Before going into the theatre I wasn’t sure what time period the play would take place in. It could have been like Leonardo DiCaprio’s Romeo and Juliet or the Ethan Hawke Hamlet, in which the play takes place in modern times. Or it could have taken place in the late 1500s or early 1600s, I had no idea. When I saw Berowne, Loganville, and Dumaine dressed in what appeared to be early 1900s preppy clothes dancing and playing badminton I knew this wouldn’t be a typical Shakespearean play. As the play progressed I started watching not because it was required of me to do, but more so for enjoyment. The thing I appreciated most about this play was the use of humor. I know this play was a comedy, but just because something is a comedy doesn’t mean that it is in fact funny. Love’s Labour’s Lost was quite funny though. There were certain instances throughout the play where the entire audience—myself...
Words: 980 - Pages: 4
...House,” in light of the opinion that “all Victorian romantic relationships were superficial.” There are strong arguments that suggest that all Victorian romantic relationships were superficial in numerous ways, as presented by Ibsen in the play “A Doll’s House,” and Wilde in the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray.” In Ibsen’s play, all relationships are tainted by the theme of superficiality via the stereotypical roles of the sexes and appearances. In Wilde’s novel, superficiality is similarly portrayed through appearances and art, however more through physical aesthetics, rather than social appearances. A strong example of this idea is the marriage between Nora and Torvald in “A Doll’s House.” A major theme that runs throughout the play, is the idea of performance in marriage. Both Nora and Torvald put on a facade, to present themselves as an ideal husband/wife. One example is Torvald’s shallow role as a stereotypical male following the revelation of Nora’s secret; that she withdrew a loan from Krogstad in order to pay for a trip to heal Torvald’s illness. At the initial exposé he exclaims “you have ruined all my future,” establishing himself as the dominant man, as this expression is grand and exaggerated, suggesting that from this point onwards, he has no hope for a good career or family; aspects that took priority for a Victorian male. However once he finds out that Krogstad withdraws his threat to reveal Nora’s secret and he can burn the contract, he capriciously reverts to a...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...standardized, thus name spelled in different ways • Shakespeare, Shakspere, Shackspere, Shaxper, Shagspere, Shaxberd, etc. Shakespeare: The most well known playwright of Elizabethan times is Shakespeare. But there were also other writers who in their time were just as, or even more famous than him. WHAT MAKES SHAKESPEARE STAND OUT? – The volume of his works Plays firmly attributed to Shakespeare ■ 14 COMEDIES – funny play – with amusing events – ended in marriage / or happily o Midsummer Night’s Dream, Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night, As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing… ■ 10 HISTORIES – Richard III, Richard II, Henry IV… ■ 10 TRAGEDIES – ends in death ← Hamlet, Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Julius Caesar… ■ 4 Romances – ( chivalry and love) Pericles,...
Words: 8454 - Pages: 34
...duchess and unravels the dark story behind them. PL is a Victorian poem, the poem is gothic, crude and perverted in parrts with a man's strange insane intentions. However all these poems are linked by the idea of the male possessing and controlling a woman. H on the other hand is a woman's interpretation of a 19th century fictional character and how this character is left with feelings of violent hatred after being let down in marriage by her fiancé who has wed her to gain some of her riches. The theme of the poem is violent and confrontation but does compare and contrast with PL with the gothic nature. These four dramatic monologues do vary in storyline and tone however he same themes are made apparent in all of them and is what gives these poems a link and comparisons. Desire, death, domination and obsession as well as the balance of control between men and women over the past four hundred years are all explores. In Shakespeare's play "Much Ado about Nothing" we are also resented with these evident themes through two very different kinds of women with diametrically opposed attitudes to love and marriage. The position of Women has vacillated throughout history and from the 16th Century to the 19th Century in which the stories are set we...
Words: 3218 - Pages: 13
...OLD ENGLISH LITERATURE • Palaeolithic nomads from mainland Europe; • New inhabitants came from western and possibly north-western Europe (New Stone Age); • in the 2nd millennium BC new inhabitants came from the Low Countries and the middle Rhine (Stonehenge); • Between 800 and 200 BC Celtic peoples moved into Britain from mainland Europe (Iron Age) • first experience of a literate civilisation in 55 B.C. • remoter areas in Scotland retained independence • Ireland, never conquered by Rome, Celtic tradition • The language of the pre-Roman settlers - British (Welsh, Breton); Cornish; Irish and Scottish Gaelic (Celtic dialect) • The Romans up to the fifth century • Britain - a province of the Roman Empire 400 years • the first half of the 5th century the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (N Germany, Jutland) • The initial wave of migration - 449 A. D. • the Venerable Bede (c. 673-735) • the Britain of his time comprised four nations English, British (Welsh), Picts, and Scots. • invaders resembling those of the Germans as described by Tacitus in his Germania. • a warrior race • the chieftain, the companions or comitatus. • the Celtic languages were supplanted (e.g. ass, bannock, crag). * Christianity spread from two different directions: * In the 5th century St Patrick converted Ireland, in the 7th century the north of England was converted by Irish monks; * in the south at the end of the 6th century Aethelberht of Kent allowed the monk Augustine...
Words: 9579 - Pages: 39
...are his words that his quotes, from "To be or not to be" to "Parting is such sweet sorrow," take up more than 70 pages in recent editions of Bartlett's Familiar Quotations. His works rival the King James Bible (also produced in the 1600s) as a source of oft-quoted English phrases. Shakespeare is known as "the Bard of Avon," in a nod to his birthplace, and many of his plays were originally performed in the famous Globe Theater in London. Among his best-known plays are Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, and MacBeth. He is also known for his poetry, especially his sonnets. (Who2biographies) * William Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway in 1582. Their daughter Susannah was born in 1583, and the twins Judith and Hamnet were born in 1585. Hamnet died in 1596... William Shakespeare's precise birthdate is not known; he was baptized on 26 April 1564, and over time 23 April has become the accepted date of birth, in part because he also died on 23 April in 1616.( Who2biographies) * Shakespeare produced most of his known work between 1589 and 1613. His early plays were primarily comedies and histories, and these are regarded as some of the best work ever produced in these genres. He then wrote mainly tragedies until about 1608, including Hamlet, Othello, King Lear, and Macbeth, considered some of the finest works in the English language. In his last phase, he wrote tragicomedies, also known as romances, and collaborated with other playwrights. ( Wikipedia) Summary: * He's a moody kid with...
Words: 2212 - Pages: 9
...Film i Engelsk Bilag 1a FILM ANALYSIS – an introduction (Source: http://www.filmeducation.org) – bearbejdet af Mi og LK, Favrskov Gymnasium Reading a film is just like reading a book, except that instead of looking at a written page we are looking at the cinema screen. Reading a film works in exactly the same way as a written text, or a picture, except that the tools that are used to create meaning are different. We call these tools film language. The opening sequence From the moment we first start watching a film, we begin to get involved. The first few minutes of a film (the opening sequence) are very important to us as they give us lots of clues about the film: 1) what will the film be about (conflicts/themes); 2) who are the most important characters (hero, villain, love interest); 3); what is the setting of the film (time and place); 4) the genre; and finally, 5) what sort of film language characterizes the film? We look at all these elements and begin to put them into context. Based on their environment, how they look, what they say and what we see them do, we make assumptions about the characters, their roles in the film and their relationship to each other. We also recognize so-called genre markers (things we associate with one particular genre) which tell us if we are watching a Western or a Sc-Fi film and, thus, form specific expectations about what is going to happen during the rest of the film. At the same time, we listen to the sounds and the music...
Words: 2283 - Pages: 10
...Literary Criticism The Two Gentlemen of Verona The Two Gentlemen of Verona is a comedy about the adventures of two bosom buddies, Valentine and Proteus. When Proteus falls in love with his best friend's girlfriend, the guys find themselves torn between the bonds of male friendship and romance. (If you're thinking all this sounds like a modern day "bromantic comedy," you're right. Two Gentlemen of Verona is the great, great grandfather of buddy flicks like the 2009 comedy I Love You Man.) Written as early as 1590-91, Two Gentlemen appears to be William Shakespeare's first play. (As usual, some literary critics are divided over this issue, but we're going with the editors of The Norton Shakespeare and the editors of The Oxford Shakespeare on this one.) As Shakespeare's first theatrical effort, Two Gentlemenhas been referred to as a "limping forerunner" of Shakespeare's later works. Even famous literary scholar Harold Bloom says it's "the weakest of all Shakespeare's comedies." We, on the other hand, prefer to think of Two Gentlemen as Shakespeare's test kitchen, where a budding young playwright begins to work out the recipe for his "comedies" and begins to explore themes and conventions that he'll develop more fully in later works – particularly the themes of male friendship and heterosexual love, which come into conflict in plays like The Merchant of Veniceand also in Shakespeare's collection of Sonnets. Like all test kitchen creations, Two Gentlemen is far from perfect...
Words: 11043 - Pages: 45
...at one time or the other. An ambulance is a symbol of disease and death. Dockery and Son contains the following pessimistic line: “Life is first boredom, then fear”. And this poem concludes with the pessimistic view that there is old age, and that the end of old age is death. Aubade is a poem in which Larkin’s fear of death reaches its climax. Larkin himself described it his “in-a-funk-about-death poem.” The Positive Features of His Pessimistic Poems However, Larkin is not a regularly pessimistic poet. Some of his poems have a extremely moral character which expresses itself in the need to control and organize life, rather than submit to a pre-determined pattern of failure. There is generally a debate going on in many of his poems between the positive and the negative aspects of human life. Often, in these poems, he speaks in his...
Words: 5367 - Pages: 22
...refers to him/herself as “I.” The narrator may be an active participant in the story or just an observer. When the point of view represented is specifically the author’s, and not a fictional narrator’s, the story is autobiographical and may be nonfictional (see Common Literary Forms and Genres below). Third-person narration: The narrator remains outside the story and describes the characters in the story using proper names and the third-person pronouns “he,” “she,” “it,” and “they.” • Omniscient narration: The narrator knows all of the actions, feelings, and motivations of all of the characters. For example, the narrator of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina seems to know everything about all the characters and events in the story. • Limited omniscient narration: The narrator knows the actions, feelings, and motivations of only one or a handful of characters. For example, the narrator of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has full knowledge of only Alice. • Free indirect discourse: The narrator conveys a character’s inner thoughts while staying in the third person. Gustave Flaubert pioneered this style in Madame Bovary, as in this passage: “Sometimes she thought that these were after all the best days of her life, the honeymoon, so-called.” Objective narration: A style in which the narrator reports neutrally on the outward behavior of the characters but offers no interpretation of their actions or their inner states....
Words: 12257 - Pages: 50
