How Does Shakespeare Treat Death in Romeo and Juliet?
- Submitted by: lectureking
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- Category: English: Shakespeare
- Date Submitted: 10/06/2014 09:27 AM
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Death in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is one of the key themes that emerge in the play. Death is a symbol of the bond between love and hate, the love between Romeo and Juliet mixed with the feud linking the two families. Death by suicide is illustrated deeply in Romeo and Juliet, but to sense the reality of the play one must understand what Shakespeare is representing. Romeo and Mercutio die because of their consequences. Tybalt and Mercutio’s deaths represent the feud between the two families and the denied peace. This is a play about the tragedies that every character in Verona experiences, due to the tense love of Romeo and Juliet.
Romeo and Juliet die, as their passion drove them to suicide. Early in the play we find out that Romeo is a sad and broken boy but is then renewed with life after meeting Juliet. He falls “under loves heavy burden” and thinks of his “fair lady” day and night. All this love and separation is the reason these two ‘star-crossed lovers’ commits suicide. Shakespeare has made suicide an essential aspect of intense love, because their adoration towards each other was too strong and they couldn’t bear living without one another.
Mercutio’s character acts like Romeo’s conscience, creating, a sense of assurance between the two characters. Mercutio sees himself as in control; he is an active participant in his own life, as contrasted to Romeo’s acceptance of his own reactions. “If love be rough with you, be rough with love” is a statement of someone who believes that love cannot be controlled.
Shakespeare created Tybalt and Mercutio to create a balance in the play, without the death of these two characters the audience wouldn’t be reminded so much of the ongoing feud between the two families. Mercutio is introduced as a light heart character to engage the audience, to show that the play has a sense of humour as the conflict and violence engages the audience.
Most of the events that happen in Romeo and Juliet lead up to the...
Romeo and Juliet die, as their passion drove them to suicide. Early in the play we find out that Romeo is a sad and broken boy but is then renewed with life after meeting Juliet. He falls “under loves heavy burden” and thinks of his “fair lady” day and night. All this love and separation is the reason these two ‘star-crossed lovers’ commits suicide. Shakespeare has made suicide an essential aspect of intense love, because their adoration towards each other was too strong and they couldn’t bear living without one another.
Mercutio’s character acts like Romeo’s conscience, creating, a sense of assurance between the two characters. Mercutio sees himself as in control; he is an active participant in his own life, as contrasted to Romeo’s acceptance of his own reactions. “If love be rough with you, be rough with love” is a statement of someone who believes that love cannot be controlled.
Shakespeare created Tybalt and Mercutio to create a balance in the play, without the death of these two characters the audience wouldn’t be reminded so much of the ongoing feud between the two families. Mercutio is introduced as a light heart character to engage the audience, to show that the play has a sense of humour as the conflict and violence engages the audience.
Most of the events that happen in Romeo and Juliet lead up to the...