Other readers may examine the play through the lens of happenstance and coincidence, and thus conclude that Romeo and Juliet's fates were not wholly predetermined but rather a series of unfortunate and unlucky events. Immature Love 5. The proloque also suggests that the couple can not do anything to change their destiny and that they are facing an unlucky future wich later on culminates in their suicide. Finally, Romeo and Juliet died because their deaths were determined by fate and the prediction from the stars. Shakespeare wrote during a time when plays were either comedies or tragedies. Human nature killed Romeo and Juliet. I like your ideas though. “If love be rough with you, be rough with love. It begins with the servants setting up and the guests arriving. 1.3. The parents of Juliet helps to aid the events that lead to the death of their own daughter. Anyway, the point is that the word "tragedy" has a very specific meaning. Romeo and Juliet, play by William Shakespeare, written about 1594–96 and first published in an unauthorized quarto in 1597. Even before Romeo gets to know Juliet he says: I fear to early, for my mind misgives Some early consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels, and expire the term Of a despised life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death (1.4. He could have started all over and Juliet could have done the same after finding out that Romeo killed himself. Benvolio and Mercutio look for Romeo. Just to let you know lol. I have started making a cave because i found some information on some website that romeo and julliet got married at friar laurences house which was a cave but i have just checked another website which says they got married at St. Peters church in Verona, which one is right? It is debatable why Friar Laurence advises Juliet to fake her death in the first place and does not take her into a nunnery right away. Rachel Ann. Juliet dies about two weeks prior to her 14th birthday. Where did Romeo and Juliet die? 104-109). By so doing, she takes control of her own destiny instead of allowing her life to be controlled by others, as so many young women in her circumstances at that time would. The play also contains many chances which can easily be appointed as agents of fate (cf. By writing the play, Shakespeare began the shaping of modern drama, in which the fates of ordinary people are as crucial as those of the great. The poor man should have never sold Romeo the poison to kill himself in the first place. The message did not reach Romeo by some means, and later Romeo get to know about Juliet's fake death from his servant Balthasar. Paris was going in to give Juliet flowers and Romeo was saying things like "I want to lay with Juliet." Also where did they die did they die in a cave or what? 10. "Give me my Romeo; and, when I shall die,Take him and cut him out in little stars,And he will make the face of heaven so fineThat all the world will be in love with night." The seemingly predetermined tragic ending of his play is considerably confronted with an unforeseeable comedic opposite (cf. We might conclude that we’re meant to infer that they just had sex, and that may be the way the scene is most commonly understood. Were Romeo and Juliet Victims of Circumstance? The message did not reach Romeo by some means, and later Romeo get to know about Juliet's fake death from his servant Balthasar. Getting married is an act of pure love but running away would be an act of pure badness (3.5). In general, such drama was split into two categories: comedy and tragedy. The Friar is a holy and respected man and should have stayed with Juliet, knowing that she was in no condition to deal with Romeo's death. The earliest known critic of the play was diarist Samuel Pepys, who wrote in 1662: "it is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life." The Capulets only knew of Romeo, but they had never met him. From a plot perspective, Romeo and Juliet don’t initially intend to commit suicide. By doing so the audience’s attention is primarily focused on the question how the lovers will come to a tragic end and the question of what really is going to happen throughout the play fades into the background (cf. - It only takes five minutes The feud, its initiators and the effects of a patriarchal society 7. Several hours pass during this scene even though it takes only a few minutes to perform. Considering the plot from a modern light, it is more than tragedy if a 13-year-old girl and a 15-year-old boy commit suicide. Smith, 2012, p. 159). Juliet would have greatly disobeyed her parents and everyone would have known. In fact, the goal is to fake their deaths so they can run away and continue their married lives, since they have married in Act II. Soon after that Juliet talks about a similar feeling. In Mantua Romeo thinks that his dreams predict some good news and he seems to be full of hope for a happy ending (5.1.2). Helping Juliet to flee might have harmed her family and would not have stayed between the protagonists only. Many times he reduces an intervention of God or other spirits to their presence. Arthur Brook is said to have “[…] used a moralistic French adaption, by Pierre Boaistuau, of a story by the Italian Matteo Bandello in his Le novella di Bandello, and Shakespeare probably also read William Painter’s translation of Boaistuau in his Place of Pleasure, of 1567” (Wells, 1996, p. 1). Like others have said, they acted foolishly and became blind to everyone but them. It is evident that the untimely deaths of Romeo and Juliet were the result of the feud between the Capulet and Montague. - Publication as eBook and book Friar Laurence marries the couple, knowing that their families are enemies to each other but hoping that an act of pure love might change their relationship and the goings-on in Verona to the better (2.2.92). That's not what the word means. Answer: I. Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics: “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the most famous plays that have survived decades. Romeo and Juliet die in Shakespeare’s play because Shakespeare loved to write tragedies. On the one hand side he knows that he will have to revenge his friend’s death when he gets the chance but on the other hand side he can also be sure that his doing so can only lead to more sorrow. Near the end, I cried my eyes out! He then mistakenly thinks that Juliet is dead (in fact she is only drugged and is waiting for Romeo to come and rescue her). Then everything changed in a blink of an eye. It's not the same thing as "destiny", because there is not (necessarily) a supernatural force involved. The fighting scene between Mercutio and Tybalt and later on between Tybalt and Romeo contains many references to fate. The tragic suicides of star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet are the most famous deaths in the play. Henry the VIII’s break with the Catholic Church (1534) and Queen Elizabeth’s conformity with the protestant belief indicated a formal religious union in society which was not really practiced by the common people. By writing the play, Shakespeare began the shaping of modern drama, in which the fates of ordinary people are as crucial as those of the great. In Romeo and/or Juliet, the "star cross'd lovers" don't necessarily have to die. While that is really, really horrible, it's not technically tragic. He also thinks that love that is pursued violently will also end violently and will “[…] in [its] triumph end like fire and powder […]” (2.5.10). The poor man should have never sold Romeo the poison to kill himself in the first place. What Are the Characteristics of the Tragedy Genre. Furthermore, it is a classic part of some school curriculums. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays.Today, the title characters are regarded as archetypal young lovers. “Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die, take him and cut him out in little stars.” These words of Juliet show her intense love for Romeo. The tragedies are interpreted as the authors way of dealing with the confusing and changing ideological and also political circumstances of his time (cf. Finally two film adaptations will be looked at in some detail, mainly concentrating on their endings and their justification for it. how immature can you be to take your own life just because you can't talk to you parents? Although the Friar acts very modern when he allows Romeo and Juliet to decide whom they want to marry on their own, he does not seem to be ready to undermine the conditions of their patriarchal society one bit further which does also explain why he left Juliet in the tomb. Since Romeo thinks Juliet is dead he wants to die next to his wife, so he buys a poison from a poor man. Smith, 2012, p. 158; McAllindon, 1991, p. 60). They were popular at the time. Everything outside of Verona seems hell to him because Juliet will not be there. About the newspaper report: Newspapers, schmewspapers. Romeo and Juliet die in Shakespeare’s play because Shakespeare loved to write tragedies. All acts & scenes are listed on the Romeo & Juliet original text page, or linked to from the bottom of this page. Answer:Many wonder why Romeo and Juliet must end with the title characters’ deaths. It is bad luck that Juliet wakes just some minutes too late. Like Juliet also Romeo thinks that being banished is even worse than being dead. Schmiele, 1963, p. 108). It's as if there was no chance that the person could have survived the situation, because they acted according to their basic nature. The couple can only see things through their own perspective, and had neither wisdom nor forbearance. Juliet sees Romeo dead beside her, and surmises from the empty vial that he has drunk poison. Thus his weakness caused him to choose to leave, with no help from fate, and the death of Juliet. Well, Romeo and Juliet die, obviously, and so do Tybalt, Paris, and Mercutio.Romeo and Juliet's parents do not die, and neither does the Friar or the Nurse. It also makes the play more symbolically open ended. Instead, they might put on robot suits and conquer Verona. The topic of Religion has long been denied any importance for Shakespeare’s plays. 0 0. They didn't choose to die; it just happened because they loved each other. 663-664). It ends with the guests leaving. contributor for many years. How long is it now to Lammastide? Finally, Romeo and Juliet died because their deaths were determined by fate and the prediction from the stars. Scene 5: Romeo bids Juliet an emotional farewell after spending the night together.Lady Capulet believes that Tybalt’s death is the cause of her daughter’s misery and threatens to kill Romeo with poison. All men call thee fickle; If thou art fickle, what dost thou with him That is renown’d for faith? After Romeo’s banishment it is the Friar who keeps both lovers on the right track. 8.2 Romeo + Juliet. Apart from the early Titus Andronicus, the only other play that Shakespeare wrote prior to 1599 that is classified as a tragedy is Romeo and Juliet (c. 1594–96), which is quite untypical of the tragedies that are to follow. Looking down on him from her window Juliet has the impression that she sees Romeo as if he was lying in a grave all pale (3.5.55-6). Instead, he kills himself because of adolescent passion and Juliet dies for him in return. There are many incidents in the play were fate plays an important role and the characters seem to know what their end will be. Like others have said, they acted foolishly and became blind to everyone but them. Since Romeo thinks Juliet is dead he wants to die next to his wife, so he buys a poison from a poor man. Dunton-Dower & Riding, 2004, p. 305). Instead, he kills himself because of adolescent passion and Juliet dies for him in return. 1.2.  (Anglistik/Amerikanistik). Romeo is about 16 or 17. When Mercutio dies, Romeo seems to know that his friend’s death is only the first incident in a sequence of bad happenings that are to come and says: “This day’s black fate on more days doth depend: This but begins the woe others must end” (3.1.121-2). That said, Romeo dies because he despairs, believing his lover is dead. The appeal of the young hero and heroine is such that they have become, in the popular imagination, the representative of star-crossed lovers. Cinematic Realization 8.1 West Side Story 8.2 Romeo + Juliet This happens all the time. you should blame society for it, not anyone specifically. The existing stories are believed to have influenced Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet severely. All these quotes show how the theme death was portrayed by the characters Mercutio, Romeo, and Juliet in the play Romeo and Juliet. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet must die since Shakespeare was writing a tragedy. Tybalt - Stabbed by Romeo as revenge for Mercutio's death. With these words Romeo utters a presentiment of danger which goes hand in hand with the prologue’s announcements. The word originates from the latin word ‘fatum’ which can be translated as “something that has been spoken” (Merriam-Webster Encyclopaedia). Cummings, 2012, pp. It stresses their family history and the situation around them and prophesies their deaths which are supposed to be confirmed by fate (Prologue, 1-14). Romeo and Juliet had to die because the play is a tragedy and all tragedies end in death. First of all, it will be looked at the play’s history, the societal environment during its emergence and Shakespeare’s religious background which are of utmost importance to interpret the author’s ideas. Juliet took a fake potion to make her sleep but appear to be dead. 1. Romeo and Juliet have no flaws, and aren't old enough to be blamed if they did. The media almost always says it's "tragic" when a bus crashes and a bunch of children die. Next to that there are many incidents and circumstances in the play which could not have been influenced by neither Romeo nor Juliet which would also coincide with a definition of fate but in the end both protagonists do have the chance to change their destiny. The play starts with a prologue in which a chorus informs the audience about the fate of the young lovers. The cover of the second Quarto from 1599 suggests that the play was performed frequently and that it was much appreciated by the audience (cf. --shelby o. Romeo and Juliet caused their own death because they were too immature to listen to others. The Friar is portrayed as a wise old man who is torn between the wish of helping Romeo and Juliet to be together while trying to guide their relationship into the right direction and the need to keep it a secret until society is ready for them to be together. ACT 3, SCENE 4. Romeo and Juliet told to us by the narrator commit a double suicide playing into the hands of fate and to Romeo's tragic flaw. William Shakespeare's famous tragedy "Romeo and Juliet" is a tale about the power of young love and the tragic consequences of a long-standing family feud. That said, Romeo dies because he despairs, believing his lover is dead. Thus, technically they do not have to die to serve the plot, but choose to die, because they are young, foolish, and in love. Just as Romeo and Juliet’s dialogue when they first meet takes the form of a sonnet, their dialogue here about being reluctant to separate takes the form of a type of poem called an aubade, in which lovers lament the necessity of separating before dawn—although in a traditional aubade the lovers have to separate because they are having an adulterous relationship and can’t get caught. Parents have a duty to make certain decisions for their children, as they did in the 16th century, however at that time a girl or women would barely ever make her own decisions, these would be made by her parents. After Tybalt’s death and the Prince’s sentence the couple spends their wedding night together but afterwards say farewell to each other. Considering the plot from a modern light, it is more than tragedy if a 13-ye… Answer (1 of 12): Romeo killed himself by drinking poison. Fate might be a well chosen scapegoat to justify Romeo and Juliets deaths but overall the text suggests that it is not the reason why the play had to end badly. Sources: College head coach quits after opening game. The first version of “The most excellent and lamentable tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” was released between 1594 and 1597 when Shakespeare was about 30 years old (cf. The appeal of the young hero and heroine is such that they have become, in the popular imagination, the representative of star-crossed lovers. They die because of the pigheaded quarrel of their families, the Montagues and Capulets. Tybalt is angry that Romeo came. Maybe the death of Mercutio can be called bad luck but here Romeo killed Tybalt on purpose, being obliged to his friend and enraged about his death. It's like the ending was already written for them. His sentiment is the same. Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris … 663-664). Coming of Age 6. – Juliet. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include Fate also caused Juliet’s cousin and Romeo’s friend to die in the same day. The storyline was not new to the world and originates in a poem by Arthur Brooke: The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet (cf. About “Romeo and Juliet Act 3 Scene 4” Capulet, his wife, and Paris discuss Juliet. 8.1 West Side Story Romeo and Juliet live near a train station. All in all ‘fate’ is regarded as a phenomenon of occurring circumstances which lead to either a happy or bad ending of something or soemeone. They die because of the pigheaded quarrel of their families, the Montagues and Capulets. FunTrivia.com. The death of either seems like the end of the world to both characters. After meeting Romeo for the very first time and not knowing who he is Juliet fears that he might be already taken and says: ”If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding-bed” (1.4.248-249). Juliet is 13 and is almost 14. I have started making a cave because i found some information on some website that romeo and julliet got married at friar laurences house which was a cave but i have just checked another website which says they got married at St. Peters church in Verona, which one is right? Wells, 2001, p. 419). Back in Shakespeare's time, it was more interesting to the audience for it to end in death. Other readers may examine the play through the lens of happenstance and coincidence, and thus conclude that Romeo and Juliet's fates were not wholly predetermined but rather a series of unfortunate and unlucky events. Last night, I watched the entire movie on Netflix. Often viewed as accidental, since Tybalt may have been trying to kill Romeo. Massai, 2001, p. 481). Instead, Romeo only heard that Juliet had died, so he intends to die at her side in a symbolic act of eternal love. These elements are the reasons of tragic moments of this Shakespearean play. Im doing a project for school on Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare’s religious background [3] To the end of the play Juliet does get the chance to leave her family forever but she does not take it. He asks the Friar for a knife or some poison so that he can kill himself (3.3.44). 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