Romeo+and+Juliet

=**Title of the Work**= //Romeo and Juliet// =Author= William Shakespeare =Nationality/Ethnic Background= English =Genre and Sub-genres= Dramatic Tragedy, Romantic Tragedy. =Pertinent Biographical Information= William Shakespeare was born in the mid 1500's in England. Though his exact birth is unknown, documents show that Shakespeare was baptized April 26, 1564 and died April 24, 1616. Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, a market town in Warwickshire, England to a glove-maker. Shakespeare attended grammar school, but his formal education went no further.Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway (Not the actress) when he was eighteen. Hathaway and Shakespeare had three children: Susanna, Hamnet, and Judith. Around 1590, Shakespeare left his family for London where he began successfully working as an actor, writer, and partial owner of a playing company known as "the Lord Chamberlain's Men" which would later come be called "the King's Men." In addition to his theatrical pursuits, Shakespeare was also a successful English poet and playwright and is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, his plays and poems being translated into almost every conceivable language. Shakespeare's surviving works include approximately 38 plays, 154 sonnets, 2 narrative poems, and several other poems, produced primarily between 1589 and 1613. Due to his immense popularity and repute, Shakespeare's plays are performed more frequently than those of any other playwright. Despite the notoriety of his written works, few records remain regarding Shakespeare's private life exist, leading to much speculation and controversy regarding his sexuality, religious beliefs, physical appearance, and credibility of his works. Shakespeare and his works were respected in his time, but he did not gain popularity until the 19th century when his works were thoroughly analyzed and the true poetic structure recognized. Shakespeare's plays remain popular to this day and are still constantly studied, performed, and interpreted in various different contexts throughout the world. =Literary Historical Period/Movement and Pertinent Background= //Romeo and Juliet// was written around the early to mid 1590's during the Italian Renaissance, published in England around 1597. During this time, there was a revival of more classical forms of culture, manifesting through the arts especially. As such, Shakespeare revived the concept of Romeo and Juliet, which was originally to English-speaking audiences through the Poet Arthur Brooks in a tale of Romeus and Juliet. Although //Romeo and Juliet// contains many details mirroring Brooks's poem, Shakespeare did bring many original and complex aspects to the story of Romeo and Juliet though that set it aside from other love tragedies of the era. =Major Characters, Their Relationships, Their Conflicts= =Brief Plot Summary= In Verona, Italy, there is an unexplained and apparently age-old feud between the Capulet and Monatgue families. In the market square, the servants of these two families start fighting, the Prince declares that death will be the punishment for any further violence. After this announcement, Benvolio notices young Romeo is troubled by something, and after much inquiring finds out Romeo has fallen in love with Rosaline, who will not return Romeo's affections. Benvolio's solution for young Romeo is find another woman to love. Meanwhile, young Juliet is proposed to by Paris, a kinsman to the Prince, and even though Lord Capulet is elated for the arrangements, he asks Paris to wait until Juliet is older to fulfill their marriage.
 * Romeo Montague:** The male protagonist and sixteen-year-old son and heir of Lord and Lady Montague. Romeo is handsome, impulsive, sensitive, and tragically moronic. Romeo is caught in the middle of a conflict between the Montagues and the Capulets, but Romeo has no interest in conflict. Romeo secretly marries Juliet Capulet, the daughter of his father's enemy. Romeo poisons himself when he is told that Juliet has died, because apparently, knowing how to check a pulse wasn't really a thing in the 15th century.
 * Juliet Capulet:** The female protagonist and equally stupid thirteen-year-old daughter of Lord and Lady Capulet. Because Juliet is the daughter in a wealthy family, she lacks the ability to roam about the city and experience adventures as Romeo does. Juliet stabs herself upon awaking and finding a dead Romeo, because faking your death doesn't generally end up well when you've got a melodramatic, hormonal boyfriend who vows to follow you to the grave.
 * Montague and Lady Montague:** The parents of Romeo and sworn enemies of the Capulets for unexplained reasons. Romeo's father, Montague, is very concerned about his son's depression, much like how King Claudius was of Hamlet's despondency. Romeo's mother, Lady Montague, loves her son very much and dies of grief when he is sent into exile.
 * Capulet and Lady Capulet:** The parents of Juliet and sworn enemies of the Montagues for unexplained reasons. Capulet loves his daughter, but doesn't know her very well nor does he seem to invest much time into solving that issue. Capulet believes that what is best for Juliet is to be married to Paris, and considering the suicidal tendencies of Romeo, was probably correct.. Lady Capulet, Juliet's mother, is eager to see Juliet marry Paris. Lady Capulet herself was married very young and it is estimated that she gave birth to Juliet when she was fourteen years old. Lady Capulet is an incompetent mother and relies on the Nurse for support.
 * Tybalt:** A Capulet; he is Juliet's cousin and fervently despises the Montagues. Tybalt is vain, aggressive, and violent. Tylbalt will quickly draw his sword to anyone who injures his ego. Romeo kills Tybalt after Tybalt kills one of Romeo's closest friends, Mercutio. Harry Wasnak's nomination for the 2013 "Only Character Worth a Damn" Award.
 * Benvolio:** Benvolio is Montague's nephew; he is a cousin and great friend to Romeo. Benvolio is known as being a pacifist, although Mercutio claims that he has a terrible temper. Benvolio spends most of his time in the play attempting to help Romeo "forget" about Rosaline, who is quickly replaced by Juliet.
 * Friar Laurence:** A friend to both Romeo and Juliet. Friar Laurence secretly marries Romeo and Juliet in the hopes that it will resolve the conflict between their families.
 * Mercutio:** Mercutio is one of Romeo's closest friends. Mercutio is highly intelligent and loves wordplay, particularly sexual double entendres. Mercutio attempts to convince Romeo to simply view love as a matter of sexual appetite. Mercutio is killed by Tybalt.
 * The Nurse:** The Nurse is aware of Juliet's relationship with Romeo and serves as her confidante and mother-figure until a disagreement damages their relationship. The Nurse breast-fed Juliet when she was a baby.

In honor of the proposal, the Capulet family holds a feast for the nobles of Verona. Benvolio convinces Romeo to go, so that he may get his mind off of Rosaline and find another girl. Romeo arrives at the party and catches sight of Juliet from across the room and instantly falls in love with her, forgetting everything about his desires for Rosaline, showing exactly how deeply he loved Rosaline. Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, recognizes Romeo at the ball and Romeo is forced to flee. Not wanting to leave Juliet, he sneaks back into the garden under her window. They exchange love vows and the Romeo departs with a kiss.

The next day Romeo visits Friar Lawrence, who listens to the distraught Romeo and agrees to marry the young lovers, hoping the marriage will resolve the feud between the families. Juliet's nurse, who is aware of the secret, agrees to help the lovers on their wedding night.

Tybalt, Juliet's cousin, outraged about Romeo's appearance at the party, challenges a reluctant Romeo who to a duel. After Mercutio, who takes Romeo's place in the duel, is killed, Romeo attacks Tybalt, killing him swiftly. Upon hearing of Tybalt's murder, the Prince exiles Romeo from Verona, ensuring his death if he returned. Romeo decides to waste his one good line talking about this (// "Ha, banishment? Be merciful, say ‘death,' //// /For exile hath more terror in his look, //// /Much more than death." Act 3, Scene 3, 12-14) // and spends the night with Juliet and they consummate their marriage before he leaves. A love sick Juliet is noticed by her father, who agrees to marry Juliet and Paris, because he thinks this will cheer her up after he cousin's death.

Juliet visits Friar Laurence, and he comes up with a plan to drug her and fake her death. After being placed in the family crypt, they expect Romeo will save her and the young lovers can elope. Friar Laurence agrees to send a courier to tell Romeo of the plan. The plan works and the Capulet family buries Juliet. The servant who was supposed to relay the plan to Romeo becomes grief stricken, thus never reaching Romeo. Romeo then, maddened with grief, enters the Capulet crypt where he finds Paris whom he kills. Romeo's madness and exemplary idiocy makes him drink a poison upon viewing a "dead" Juliet. Juliet awakens shortly after Romeo dies and stabs herself with his dagger, eager to finally be with her lover in peace. The families finally reconcile in their children's death and end the feud.

=Motifs and Symbols=

The distribution of light in the play deals with life and death, good and bad and day and night. The contrast is represented through the metaphors the characters speak in. When the lovers describe their love for each other in the various scenes of affection they use the moon and the sun to tell how they wish their love could last forever and be expressed to the world. In addition, the comparisons to good and light and bad and dark are shown to be not always true, because nothing in the world is simply black-and-white.

Poison: Friar Lawrence points out that humans have made poison for ages by turning natural elements lethal. This symbolizes human society's tendency to create artificial "poisons", such as the Montague/Capulet feud that eventually consumes their respective children.

=Thematic Elements (Significant Character's Names, Significant Quotations, Significant Actions/Events)= "But soft, what light through yonder window breaks? It is the east and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief That thou, her maid, art far more fair than she, The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars As daylight doth a lamp; her eye in heaven Would through the airy region stream so bright That birds would sing and think it were not night."

Romeo speaks these lines in the balcony scene (Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 44-64). He sees Juliet and is praising her beauty and saying that the moon is jealous of Juliet because Juliet is so beautiful she looks like the shining sun even at night. He then compares Juliet to the stars. This is a beautiful and famous quote, but also displays the motif of lightness and darkness.

“O Romeo, O Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet."

Juliet speaks these lines in the balcony scene (Act 2 Scene 1 Lines 74-78). Juliet is asking herself why does Romeo have to be a Montague. She is wishing that Romeo would defy his family's name. But if he doesn't she says she will defy her name as a Capulet. These lines show the theme how one must struggle between one's social identity and one's true identity.

"If all else fail, myself have power to die" -Juliet

Juliet, being an infinitely wise barely-pubescent female, confirms that she does have the formidable super power of suicide.

"From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life, Whose misadventures piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parent's strife" This quote comes from the prologue (Lines 5-8) and is referring to the motif of fate. These lines tell the audience that Romeo and Juliet are fated to die and predict the outcome of the story.

Benvolio means "good will". This reflects his kind and caring nature. =Major Themes= The rules of society can overpower one's true feelings: The rules set by society often influenced the decisions of Romeo and Juliet. The absolute orders of their fathers and the constant pressure from society are always at Romeo and Juliet's back, forcing them to rebel against their own family. They spend a lot of time fighting against the rules of society that forbid them to act on their impulses of love and infatuation. These two lovers often are caught between what they want and what society commands them to do. Society's rules often force people to chose between the collective want and the individual need.

The power of love can work for both good and evil, but often results in violence: In addition to the power of love, the violence stirred from passionate love has a direct effect on the actions in this play. Love is powerful, not always constructive or healthy. It may go from adoration to alienation on a pure whim of one party. Out of "love" Tybalt, Mercutio and Paris were all slain. Tybalt's love for his family was illustrated in his striking down of Mercutio. Also, love that Romeo had for Juliet resulted in the deaths of Paris and Tybalt. However, in the closing of the play, love finally ceased all violence. Out of love, the characters are willing to kill and live for their beloved.

Love and passion can be blinding and cause one to loose all logic and reasoning: Love, as with all over powering emotions, cannot be controlled and often over powers the subject of it's passion. Romeo and Juliet are blinded by the own passions, losing all pretension to reason and logic, acting on impulse and resorting to the worst solutions. While in the crypt, Romeo commits suicide out of blind irrational passion. Juliet is also blind to reason and quick to act when she stabs herself at the sight of her dead lover.