Romeo and Juliet - immortal tragedy of W.S.

Contents
I.Introduction
1.1. Generalcharacteristics of the work
2.1. Generalcharacteristics of the plot
II. The MainPart
1. 2. Criticaloverview on the play
2. 2.Peculiarities of significant scenes (subjects and themes)
3. 2. “Romeoand Juliet” and their main characters
4. 2.Character relationship of Romeo and Juliet with Mercutio and Nurse
5. 2. Thelanguage of the play
6. 2.Peculiarities of stagecraft
7. 2.Contrasting the film and the play
8. 2.Comparing A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet (Lesson Plan)
III.Conclusion
1.3. StudyingRomeo and Juliet — criteria for assessment
IV.Bibliography

I. Introduction
 
1.1 General characteristics of the work
Before making the investigation in our qualification work we should givesome notions on its organization structure.
1. Theme of qualification work.
The theme of my qualification work sounds as following: “Romeo andJuliet: the immortal tragedy of William Shakespeare” I have chosen this themeas in my opinion it is this tragedy which is the most famous and of the besteducational value among the works of Shakespeare.
2. Actuality of the theme.
Actual character is based on the thesis that «Romeo and Juliet»does not only teach us all the best features of human character but also showsus the worst which we possess. All these, both good and evil, we still have.One more actual character is in linguistic features: more than 500 new Englishwords were introduced by the Avon Bard in this tragedy in their peculiardiverse manner.
3. The tasks and aims of the work.
Before the beginning of writing our qualification work we set thefollowing tasks and aims before ourselves:
1. To investigate the peculiarities of the play and their difference fromother works of Shakespeare.
2. To analyze the moral value of the play.
3. To show the ways how the heroes are related to each other by findingout oppositions and correspondences.
4. To analyze some popular scenes in the play.
4. The novelty of the work.
We consider that the novelty of the work is revealed in new materials of thelinguists which were published in the Internet. One more novelty is theanalysis of modern screen adaptations of the play made by famous directorsFranco Zeffirelli and James Cameron.
5. Practical significance of the work.
In our opinion the practical significance of our work is hard to beovervalued. This work reflects modern trends in linguistics and we hope itwould serve as a good manual for those who wants to master modern Englishlanguage by classical language of William Shakespeare.
6. Ways of scientific investigation used within the work.
The main method for compiling our work is the method of comparativeanalysis, translation method and the method of statistical research.
7. Fields of amplification.
The present work might find a good way of implying in the followingspheres:
1. In High Schools and scientific circles of linguistic kind it can besuccessfully used by teachers and philologists as modern material for writingresearch works dealing with William Shakespeare
2. It can be used by teachers of schools, lyceums and colleges byteachers of English as a practical manual for teaching english literature.
3. It can be useful for everyone who wants to enlarge his/her knowledgein English.
8. Linguists worked with the theme.
As the base for our qualification work we used the works of adistinguished Russian linguists Dmitry Urnov and modern Russian philologistIlya Gililov[1].
8. Content of the work.
The present qualification work consists of four parts: introduction, themain part, conclusion and bibliography. It also includes the appendix wheresome interesting Internet materials, tables, schemes and illustrative thematicmaterials were gathered. Within the introduction part, which includes two itemswe gave the brief description of our qualification work (the first item) andgave general notion of the theme and the tragedy. The main part of ourqualification work includes several items. There we discussed such problems assubject and themes of the play, analysis some peculiar scenes and relations ofthe main characters. We also compared the language of tragedy with thecorresponding language of Shakespearean comedies having performed such comparisonas methodic ellaboration for the lesson plan. In the conclusion to ourqualification work we tried to draw some results from the scientificinvestigations made within the main part of our qualification work. Inbibliography part we mentioned more than 20 sources of which were used whilecompiling the present work. It includes linguistic books and articles dealingwith the theme, a number of used dictionaries and encyclopedias and also someinternet sources. Appendices to our work include some interesting informationon Shakespeare and his works.
2.1 General characteristics of theplot
This play starts with a lovely sonnet, an unusualbeginning given that sonnets were meant to be from a lover to his beloved. Thesonnet is also a very structured form of prose, lending itself to order.Shakespeare cleverly contrasts this orderly sonnet with the immediate disorderof the first scene. The sonnet degenerates into a bunch of quarreling servantswho soon provoke a fight between the houses of Montegue and Capulet.
This scene is wrought with sexual overtones, with thevarious servants speaking of raping the enemies women. The sexual wordplay willcontinue throughout the play, becoming extremely bawdy and at times offensive,yet also underlying the love affair between Romeo and Juliet.
The disorder within the play is evidenced by invertedcircumstances. Servants start the quarrel, but soon draw the noblemen into thebrawl. The young men enter the fight, but soon the old men try to deny theirage and fight as well. The fact that this whole scene takes place in broaddaylight undermines the security that is supposed to exist during the day. Thusthe play deals with conflicting images: servants leading noblemen, old agepretending to be youth, day overtaking night.
The Nurse speaks of Juliet falling as a child when sherelates a story to Lady Capulet. This story indirectly pertains to the rise andfall ofthe characters. Since this is a tragedy, the influence of wheel'sfortune cannot be overlooked. Indeed, Juliet's role in the play does parallelthe wheel of fortune, with her rise to the balcony and her fall to the vault.
The Nurse also foreshadows, «An I might live tosee thee married once» (1.3.63). Naturally she does not expect this to berealized in so short a time, but indeed she does live to only see Julietmarried once.
Romeo compares Juliet to, «a rich jewel in anEthiope's ear» (1.5.43) when he first sees her. This play on thecomparison of dark and light shows up frequently in subsequent scenes. It is acentral part of their love that important love scenes take place in the dark,away from the disorder of the day. Thus Romeo loves Juliet at night, but killsTybalt during the day. It especially shows up in the first act in the way Romeoshuts out the daylight while he is pining for Rosaline.
In the fifth scene the lover's share a sonnet whichuses imagery of saints and pilgrims. This relates to the fact that Romeo meansPilgrim in Italian. It is also a sacriligeous sonnet, for Juliet becomes a saintto be kissed and Romeo a holy traveler.
The foreshadowing so common in all of Shakespeare'splays comes from Juliet near the end of the first act. She states,
Juliet: If he be married,
My grave is like to be my wedding bed[2].
(1.5.132).
This will be related over and over again, from her Nurse and later evenfrom Lady Capulet.
One of the remarkable aspects of the play is thetransformation of both Romeo and Juliet after they fall in love. Juliet firstcomes across as a young, innocent girl who obeys her parents commands. However,by the last scene she is devious and highly focused. Thus, she asks her nurseabout three separate men at the party, saving Romeo for last so as not toarouse suspicion. Romeo will undergo a similar transformation in the secondact, resulting in Mercutio commenting that he has become sociable.
There is a strange biblical reference which comes fromBenvolio in the very first scene, when he attempts to halt the fight. Heremarks,
Benvolio: Put up your swords.
You know not what you do"
(1.1.56).
This is the same phrase used by Jesus when he stopshis apostles from fighting the Roman guards during his arrest. It seems topreordain Juliet's demise, namely her three day «death» followed by aresurrection which still ultimately ends in death.
The interaction and conflict of night and day israised to new levels within the second act. Benvolio in reference to Romeo'spassion. states that:
Benvolio: Blind is his love,
and best befits the dark"
(2.1.32)
And when Romeo finally sees Juliet again, he wonders,
Benvolio: But soft, what light through yonder windowbreaks?
It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon"
(2.1.44-46).
Romeo then invokes the darkness as a form ofprotection from harm,
Romeo: I have night's cloak to hide me from theireyes" (2.1.117).
This conflict will not end until the disorder of theday eventually overcomes the passionate nights and destroys the lives of bothlovers. It is worthwhile to note the difference between Juliet and Rosaline. Julietis compared to the sun, and is one of the most giving characters in the play.
Juliet: My bounty is as boundless as the sea,
My love as deep. The more I give thee
The more I have, for both are infinite"
(2.1.175-177).
Rosaline, by contrast, is said to be keeping all herbeauty to herself, to die with her. This comparison is made even more evidentwhen Romeo describes Rosaline as a Diana (the goddess of the moon) and says toJuliet,
Romeo: Arise, fair sun, and kill the enviousmoon" (2.1.46).
The balcony scene is more than a great lovers' meetingplace. It is in fact the same as if Romeo had entered into a private Eden. Hehas climbed over a large wall to enter the garden, which can be viewed as asanctuary of virginity. Thus he has invaded the only place which Juliet deemsprivate, seeing as her room is constantly watched by the Nurse or her mother.One of the interesting things which Shakespeare frequently has his charactersdo is swear to themselves. For instance, when Romeo tries to swear by the moon,Juliet remarks that the moon waxes and wanes, and is too variable. Instead, shesays,
Juliet:Or if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self(2.1.155).
Shakespeare often has characters encouraged to be trueto themselves first, as a sign that only then can they be true to others..
Again, note the change in Juliet's behavior. Whereasshe used to obey the authority of her nurse, she now disappears twice, andtwice defies authority and reappears. This is a sure sign of her emergingindependence, and is a crucial factor in understanding her decision to marryRomeo and defy her parents.
There is a strong conflict between the uses of silverand gold throughout the action.
Juliet: How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues bynight" (2.1.210)
…«Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow,
That tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops»
(2.1.149-50).
Silver is often invoked as a symbol of love andbeauty. Gold, on the other hand, is often used ironically and as a sign ofgreed or desire. Rosaline is thus described as being immune to showers of gold,which almost seem to be a bribe. When Romeo is banished, he comments thatbanishment is a «golden axe,» meaning that death would have beenbetter and that banishment is merely a euphemism for the same thing. Andfinally, the erection of the statues of gold at the end is even more a sign ofthe fact that neither Capulet nor Montegue has really learned anything from theloss of their children. One of the central issues is the difference betweenyouth and old age. Friar Laurence acts as Romeo's confidant, and the Nurseadvises for Juliet. However, both have advice that seems strangely out of placegiven the circumstances of the play. For instance, Friar Laurence says toRomeo, «Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast» (2.2.94). Healso advises Romeo to «Therefore love moderately» (2.5.9). Theinsanity of this plea to love «moderately» is made (5.1.6). The useof dreams is meant to foreshadow, but also heightens the dramatic elements ofthe tragedy by irrevocably sealing the character's fate.
When Romeo goes to the Apothecary to buy his poison,it is as if he were buying the poison from Death himself. Note the description ofthe Apothecary,
Romeo: Meagre were his looks.
Sharp misery had worn him to the bones
(5.1.40-1).
He is clearly an image of Death. Romeo pays him ingold, saying, «There is thy gold — worse poison to men's souls»(5.1.79). This description of gold ties into the conflict between gold andsilver. It is gold that underlies the family feuding, even after the death ofboth Romeo and Juliet when Capulet and Montegue try to outbid each other in thesize of their golden statues. Thus for Romeo gold really is a form of poison,since it has helped to kill him.
The analysis of the first act pointed out some of thenumberous sexual references throughout the play. In the final death scene thereis even the full force of the erotic element. Romeo drinks from a chalise, acup with a shape that is often compared to the torso of a woman. MeanwhileJuliet says,
Juliet: O happy dagger,
This is thy sheath!
There rust, and let me die" (5.3.169).
The dagger is of course Romeo's, and the sexualovertones are starkly clear. In addition to this, there is ambiguity about theuse of the word «die.» To die actually had two meanings whenShakespeare was writing, meaning either real death or sexual intercourse. Thus,even at the very end of the play, we cannot be sure from the words alonewhether Juliet is committing suicide or engaging in sexual relations withRomeo.
A final comment concerns Friar Laurence. His actionsat the end of the play are remarkable for a holy man because he attempts toplay God. Friar Laurence gets Juliet to drink a potion which puts her to sleep,faking death, and then he tries to resurrect her. In his attempt to play God,Friar Laurence is condemned to fail by the simple arrogance of his act. Thistie-in with the death of Christ would not have escaped the Christian audienceswatching the play.

II. The Main Part
 
1.2 Critical overview on the play
The central pair of lovers are the only characters in«Romeo and Juliet» featured as changing, against all the others whoare static. The critical opinion on Romeo and Juliet is practically unanimous.The inseparability of their names reflects the very nature of love: peopleseeking «their other halves», completeness in a union with the other.So all the critics agree that Romeo and Juliet are the ideal pair of lovers.The tradition of psychological analysis of Shakespeare's characters was foundedby S.T.Coleridge in his Shakespearean lectures (1811-1812)[3].In the seventh lecture he described Shakespeare's unparalleled understanding oflove: «Shakespeare has described this passion in various states andstages, beginning, as was most natural, with love in the young. Does he openhis play making Romeo and Juliet in love at first sight — at the first glimpse,as any ordinary thinker would do? Certainly not: he knew what he was about: hewas to develop the whole passion, and he commences with the first elements — that sense of imperfection, that yearning to combine itself with something lovely.Romeo became enamoured of the idea he had formed in his own mind, and then, asit were, christened the first real being of the contrary sex as endowed withthe perfections he desired. He appears to be in love with Rosaline; but, intruth, he is in love only with his own idea. He felt that necessity of beingbeloved which no noble mind can be without. Then our poet, our poet who so wellknew human nature, introduces Romeo to Juliet, and makes it not only a violent,but a permanent love. Romeo is first represented in a state most susceptible oflove, and then, seeing Juliet, he took and retained the infection.» Thetypical Continental point of view is represented by the words of the mostinfluential Russian critic of the XlXth century V.G.Belinsky. In 15thinstallment of his «Alexander Pushkin's Works» (1844) he wrote:«The idea of love makes the pathos of „Romeo and Juliet“, andthe lovers' enthusiastic dialogues are like ocean waves shining in the stars'bright light. Their lyrical monologues are full not only of mutual admiration,but of the proud assertion of Love's divine nature[4]».Dmitrii Urnov considers «Romeo and Juliet”'s place among Shakespeare'searly plays, because it ludicrous by the rapid events which follow. In fact, bythe end of the play we even see Friar Laurence rejecting his own advice andstumbling to reach Juliet's grave before Romeo can find her. „How oft tonighthave my old feet stumbled at graves?“ (5.3.123).
Mercutio leads the action in this most dramatic of thefive acts. When wounded, he cries out „A plague o' both your houses“(3.1.101), saying it three times to ensure that it becomes a curse. Indeed, itis the plague which causes the final death of both Romeo and Juliet. Friar Johnsays that he was unable to deliver the letter to Romeo because, „thesearchers of the town, / Suspecting that we both were in a house / Where theinfectious pestilence did reign, / Sealed up the doors, and would not let usforth“ (5.2.8-11).
One of the most beautiful soliloquys is that of Julietwhen she beckons for nightfall, again representing the contrast to the disorderof the day's events.
Juliet: Come, gentle night; come, loving, black-browednight,
Give me my Romeo, and when he shall die
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun»
(3.2.20-25).
The Nurse's arrival in this act with information aboutRomeo and Tybalt reinforces the fact that this is now a tragedy, not a comedy.This can be seen in the contrast of this scene with the first scene where theNurse withholds information from Juliet. In the first scene, the Nurse isplayfully devious in telling Juliet about where Romeo wants to meet her fortheir marriage. Now however, the same playfulness is no longer comic, rather itis infuriating. In this sense Shakespeare turns the Nurse from a comiccharacter into a tragic character, one who cannot realize the importance ofwhat she is saying.
Juliet's dedication to Romeo emerges very strongly atthis point. At first she derides Romeo for killing Tybalt, but she soon has a changeof heart and says, «Shall I speak ill of him that is my husband?»(3.2.97). She then states that she would sacrifice ten thousand Tybalts to bewith Romeo, and later includes her parents in the list of people she wouldrather lose than Romeo. This dedication to a husband or lover is somethingwhich emerges frequently in Shakespeare, and is a point he tries to emphasize.
Romeo's misery at being banished is clearly shown inhis preference for death.
Romeo: Then 'banished'
Is death mistermed. Calling death 'banished'
Thou cutt'st my head off with a golden axe"
(3.3.20-22).
Friar Laurence tries to show him that by being alivehe at least still has a chance to see Juliet again. Even the Nurse, enteringwhere Romeo is hiding, says, «Stand up, stand up, stand an you be aman» (3.3.88).
The analysis of the first act introduced the image ofthe wheel of fortune. This was applied to Juliet, who throughout the previousacts rose from a humble daughter to become a strong woman standing on abalcony, and completely in charge of her situation. However, at this juncturethe Nurse informs Romeo that Juliet «down falls again» (3.3.101) as aresult of his banishment and her loss of Tybalt. Later, Juliet takes this imageeven further, saying, «Methinks I see thee, now thou art so low / As onedead in the bottom of a tomb» (3.5.55-6).
This of course also is integrated with theforeshadowing so common in Shakespeare's plays. Lady Capulet comments aboutJuliet's refusal to marry Paris that, «I would the fool were married toher grave» (3.5.140). This phrase will of course come true quite soon,when Juliet dies while still married to Romeo.
The conflict between the older generation and theyounger comes to head in the final scene of act three. The Nurse advocates thatJuliet forget about Romeo and instead focus on Paris, the virtues of whom sheproceeds to extol. Juliet, poisoningly sweet in her sarcasm, sends the Nurseaway from her for the first time, remarking, «Ancient damnation!»(3.5.235), both a reference to the Nurse's age and to the problems she mustdeal with. This leaves Juliet completely alone to face the hostile world Muchin the way that the characaters in Richard VI dream about their fates in thefinal act of that play, Romeo too has a dream which tells of his fate. «Idreamt my lady came and found me dead» does not express «thebasically tragic view of life, as the later plays would; it expresses thetragedy of individual destiny under tragic circumstances».
Many tragic love stories have been compared to«Romeo and Juliet»; the most successful modern versions are not inbooks, but in film. The most popular are: The classical American musical movie«West Side Story» (1961) based on the play by Arthur Laurents, musicby Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The action takes placeagainst the background of New York gangs war and is strictly parallel toShakespeare's plot. The Jets, white boys' gang, rival the Sharks, Puerto-Ricangang, just as the Montague rival the Capulet; prince Escalus and his guards findcounterpart in police officers Krupke and Schrank; Friar Laurence — in Doc;etc. The Polack Tony and the Puerto-Rican Maria follow in the steps of Romeoand Juliet, the major alteration of the plot occuring in the final scene. Tonyis shot by Maria's suitor Chino, and the curtain falls with Maria and Chinoalive. «West Side Story» reads like a social document and theHollywood musical was celebrated for its haunting music and dynamic dance(choreographed by Jerome Robbins). In contrast, «Romeo and Juliet»(1968), directed by Franco Zeffirelli, offers a very careful, historicallyaccurate scene: Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey starring as Romeo and Julietwere respectively 17 and 14, which are exactly the characters' ages inShakespeare. «Romeo+Juliet» (1996), directed by Baz Luhrmann,starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes, is the most unconventionaladaptation of star-crossed lovers' story. It is set in futuristic urbanbackdrop of Verona Beach, and the dazzling contrast between classical lines andvisual image of modern street violence makes this controversial movie worthspecial attention. The most recent spellbinding version is «Shakespeare inLove» (1998), awarded by the Academy as the best film of the year(directed by John Madden), starring Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow. Thescreenplay was written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. The film combines thestory of
Shakespeare writing and directing «Romeo andJuliet» in 1593, and «Romeo and Juliet» as it might be performedby its first cast, thus the show of Elizabethan England incorporates the showof «Romeo and Juliet». It uses the principle of «show within theshow». The movie makes a beautiful example of modern cinema, and theAcademy Award must be regarded as the confirmation of Shakespeare's triumphthrough ages.
In Verona, Sampson and Gregory (Capulet servants)complain that they will not put up with insults from the Montague family. Abramand Balthasar (Montague servants) appear and the four start quarreling.Benvolio (Lord Montague's nephew) appears and tries to break up the quarrel,but Tybalt (Lady Capulet's nephew) appears and picks a fight with Benvolio. Atlength, officers try to break up the fight, even while Lord Capulet and LordMontague begin to fight one another. The Prince of Verona (Escalus) appears andstops the fighting, proclaiming sentences of death to any that renew thefighting. At Montague's house, he, his wife, and Benvolio discuss howmelancholy Romeo (Montague's only son) has been lately. Benvolio vows to findout why. Speaking with Romeo, Benvolio finds Romeo is in love with a woman whohas sworn to stay chaste (Rosaline). Benvolio suggests pursuing other women,but Romeo refuses. Separately, Paris (a kinsman of the Prince of Verona) talksto Lord Capulet about wooing his daughter Juliet for marriage. Capulet respondsthat she is too young (nearly 14 years old) and must wait two years to marry,and then only to the man whom she chooses. Still, Capulet invites Paris to aparty in the evening. Capulet's servant is sent to invite guests, but he can'tread the list so he entreats Romeo to do so. Upon hearing of the party,Benvolio convinces Romeo to attend and compare his unattainable love Rosalineto more beautiful women to get his mind off Rosaline. At Capulet's house, LadyCapulet speaks to Juliet about her feelings for marrying Paris while Juliet'sNurse listens on, telling stories of Juliet's childhood. Juliet, althoughhesitant, promises to be courteous. Masked, Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio headto the Capulet patty. Romeo is still depressed, saying he dreamt a fearfuldream of an untimely death that will result because of the evening's events,but Benvolio just makes fun of him. At Capulet's house, the Montagues attendthe party (in masks), Romeo spies Juliet, and he falls in love with her. Tybaltsees Romeo and takes up arms, but Lord Capulet attempts to calm him, thoughTybalt vows to revenge Romeo's intrusion the next day. Juliet, too, falls forRomeo, but falls into despair when her Nurse informs her Romeo is a Montague,as does Romeo when he learns Juliet is a Capulet.
While leaving the party, Romeo hides in the orchardwhile Mercutio and Benvolio call for him to come out of hiding and go home withthem; yet he will not. After they leave, Romeo appears and speaks to Julietunder her window, saying «But soft! What light through yonder windowbreaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun!» By and by they swear theirlove to one another. Juliet tells Romeo she'll send a messenger to him the nextday to learn the details of their wedding. Having stayed up all night, Romeovisits Friar Lawrence's cell and tells him of this new love for Juliet.Although Lawrence is critical at first, Romeo eventually convinces him to marrythem. In the street, Benvolio tells Mercutio that Romeo did not come home thatnight, and that Tybalt has sent the Montagues a letter challenging Romeo to aduel. Romeo appears and they tease him for hiding from them. Juliet's nurse andservant Peter appear and Romeo tells her to tell Juliet to go to the Friar'scell that afternoon to be married. The Nurse returns to Juliet and, though sheskirts around the message, she finally tells Juliet the wonderful news. Soon,at the Friar's cell, he marries Romeo and Juliet, and Romeo plans to visitJuliet's bedroom that evening.
At the street, Benvolio and Mercutio encounter Tybaltand Petruchio, leading to Tybalt and Mercutio fighting since Tybalt tries topick a fight with Romeo, but he refuses. Romeo tries to break up the fight, butTybalt slays Mercutio under Romeo's arm, then Tybalt flees. As Mercutio dies,he declares «A plague on both your houses,» since he is only a friendof Romeo's and not his kinsmen. When Benvolio informs Romeo that Mercutio isdead, Romeo seeks out, fights, and slays Tybalt in revenge. Benvolio convincesRomeo to flee. The prince appears and Benvolio explains all to him, at whichthe Prince exiles Romeo for slaying Tybalt. At the Capulet's orchard, Julietwaits for Romeo when her Nurse appears and informs her of Mercutio and Tybalt'sdeaths, and Romeo's banishment. Juliet falls into despair, realizing she wouldrather Tybalt dead than Romeo, but also that a banished Romeo is virtuallydead. At the Friar's cell, he informs Romeo of the Prince's edict ofbanishment, putting him into despair. Romeo states he would rather be dead thanbanished. The Nurse arrives and tells Romeo that Juliet is sad too, butforgives Romeo. Still, Romeo pulls a dagger and tries to kill himself, but theFriar stops him and tells him to stay the night with Juliet, then flee toMantua. At Capulet's house, he and Paris set the wedding date for Paris andJuliet to be three days hence. In Juliet's bedroom, Romeo says a tearfulgoodbye to Juliet. After he leaves, Lady Capulet appears and, while discussingTybalt's death, states she will send a henchman to mantua to kill Romeo (thoughshe never does). She then informs Juliet of her impending marriage to Paris.Juliet tells her parents she will not marry, but Lord Capulet commands it willbe so. The Nurse, too, tells Juliet she should marry Paris. In private, Julietdecides to no longer trust the nurse and vows to kill herself if the Friarcannot find a way to save her from marrying Paris.
At Friar Lawrence's cell, Paris informs the Friar ofhis upcoming wedding to Juliet. When Juliet arrives to see the Friar, Parispolitely leaves. The Friar, hearing Juliet threaten suicide, tells her of a«distilled liquor» she can take to fake death. He explains the drugwill keep her asleep and seemingly dead for 42 hours, during which she can beplaced in the Capulet tomb. Then, when she wakes, Romeo can be there waitingfor her to take her to Mantua. Friar Lawrence send Friar John to Mantua with anexplanatory letter for Romeo. Juliet returns to her father and apologizes forrefusing to marry, causing her dad to move the wedding up to the next morning(two days early). In her bedroom, Juliet sends her mother and nurse away, then,after much worrying over the future, she drinks the vial of medicine andsleeps. Later in the early morning, all feverishly prepare for the wedding andCapulet sends the Nurse to wake Juliet. The Nurse wails upon finding Juliet«dead», summoning the others to find her and mourn. The Friarinstructs all to prepare Juliet for her funeral.
In Mantua, Romeo's servant Balthasar arrives and tellsRomeo that Juliet is dead. Romeo vows to see Juliet in her tomb and poisonhimself there, buying the poison from a poor Apothecary who illegally sells itto Romeo only because he (the Apothecary) needs the money. At Lawrence's cell,Friar John reports he could not deliver the letter to Romeo since he (John) gotstuck in a quarantined house while searching for Romeo. Friar Lawrence heads tothe cemetery with a crowbar. At the tomb, Paris and his page arrive and Parismourns Juliet's death. Paris hides when he hears Romeo and Balthasar approach.Romeo orders Balthasar to leave him alone, no matter what he hears. When Romeoopens the tomb, Paris steps out and tries to stop him by provoking him tofight. Romeo entreats Paris to simply walk away and not fight, but Paris forcesRomeo to fight him, resulting in Romeo slaying Paris. In sorrow, Romeo laysParis in the tomb, while Paris' page secretly leaves to call the watch. Romeofinds Juliet and mourns her death, then drinks his poison and dies. Outside thetomb, Friar Lawrence arrives and meets Balthasar who tells the Friar that Romeohas been in the tomb for one half hour. Lawrence enters the tomb and findsRomeo and Paris dead. Juliet then awakes and spots Romeo. The Friar, upon hearingnoises outside flees, leaving Juliet with Romeo. Juliet tries to kill herselfwith Romeo's poison, but can find none, either in the vial or on Romeo's lips.In desperation, she stabs herself with Romeo's dagger. The watch arrives,having found Balthasar and the Friar. The Prince and Lord and Lady Capuletarrive and learn Paris, Romeo, and Juliet are dead (amazingly to them, Julietseems to have been alive, and then newly dead again). Lord Montague arrives andreports that his wife has died from grief over Romeo's exile, then learnshimself of Romeo's death. Capulet and Montague make peace and swear to neverfight again. They vow to build solid gold statues of Romeo and Juliet and placethem side by side so all can remember their plight.
Between tragedy and comedy the transition is often butslightly marked. Thus Romeo and Juliet differs but little from most ofShakespeare's comedies in its ingredients and treatment-it is simply thedirection of the whole that gives it the stamp of tragedy. Romeo and Juliet isa picture of love and its pitiable fate in a world whose atmosphere is toosharp for this, the tenderest blossom of human life. Two beings created foreach other feel mutual love at the first glance; every consideration disappearsbefore the irresistable impulse to live for one another; under circumstanceshostile in the highest degree to their union, they unite themselves by a secretmarriage, relying simply on the protection of an invisible power. Untowardincidents following in rapid succession, their heroic constancy is within a fewdays put to the proof, till, forcibly separated from each other, by a voluntarydeath they are united in the grave to meet again in another world.
All this is to be found in the beautiful story whichwas told long before Shakespeare's day, and which, however simply told, willalways excite a tender sympathy; but it was reserved for Shakespeare to join inone ideal picture purity of heart with warmth of imagination; sweetness anddignity of manners with passionate intensity of feeling. Under his handling, ithas become a glorious song of praise on that inexpressible feeling whichennobles the soul and gives to it its highest sublimity, and which elevateseven the senses into soul, while at the same time it is a melancholy elegy onits inherent and imparted frailty; it is at once the apotheosis and theobsequies of love. It appears here a heavenly spark that, as it descends toearth, is converted into the lightning flash, which almost in the same momentsets on fire and consumes the mortal being on whom it lights. All that is mostintoxicating in the odor of a southern spring, all that is languishing in thesong of the nightingale or voluptuous in the first opening of the rose, allalike breathe forth from this poem. But even more rapidly than the earliestblossoms of youth and beauty decay does it, from the first timidly bolddeclaration and modest return of love, hurry on to unlimited passion, to anirrevocable union; and then hasten, amid alternating storms of rapture anddespair, to the fate of the two lovers, who yet appear enviable in their hardlot, for their love survives them, and by their death they have obtained anendless triumph over every separating power. The sweetest and the bitterestlove and hatred, festive rejoicings and dark forebodings, tender embraces andsepulchral horrors, the fullness of life and self-annihilation, are here allbrought close to each other; and yet these contrasts are so blended into aunity of impression, that the echo which the whole leaves in the mind resemblesa single but endless sigh. The first scenes of nearly every play of Shakespeareare remarkable for the skill with which they prepare the mind for all the afterscenes. We do not see the succession of scenes; the catastrophe unrevealed; butwe look into a dim and distant prospect, and by what is in the foreground wecan form a general notion of the landscape that will be presented to us, as theclouds roll away and the sun lights up its wild mountains or its fertilevalleys. When Sampson and Gregory enter «armed with swords andbucklers»-when we hear «a dog of the house of Montague movesme»~ we know that these are not common servants, and live not in commontimes; with them the excitement of party spirit does not rise into strongpassion—it presents its ludicrous side. They quarrel like angry curs, whosnarl, yet are afraid to bite. But the «furious Tybalt» in a momentshows us that these hasty quarrels cannot have peaceful endings. The strong armof authority suspends the affray, but the spirit of enmity is not put down. Themovement of this scene is as rapid as the quarrel itself. Tt produces theeffect upon the mind of something which startles; but the calm immediatelysucceeds. Benvolio's speech-­Madam, an hour before the worshipp'd sun
Peer'd forth the golden window of the east...
-at once shows us that we are entering the region ofhigh poetry. Coleridge remarks that the succeeding speech of old Montagueexhibits the poetical aspect of the play even more strikingly:
Many a morning hath he here been seen,
With tears augmenting the fresh morning's dew.
It is remarkable that the speech thus commencing,which contains twenty lines as highly wrought as anything in Shakespeare, isnot in the first copy of this play. The experience of the artist taught himwhere to lay on the poetical coloring brighter and brighter. How beautifullythese lines prepare us for the appearance of Romeo—the now musing, abstractedRomeo—the Romeo, who, like the lover of Chaucer, Solitary was ever alone,
And walking all the night, making moan.
The love of Romeo was unrequited love. It was asentiment rather than a passion—a love that solaced itself in antitheticalconceits upon its own misery, and would draw consolation from melancholyassociations. It was love without the «true Promethean fire,» but itwas a fir preparation for what was to follow. The dialogue between Capulet andParis prepares us for Juliet-the «hopeful lady of his earth,» whoHath not seen the change of fourteen years.
The old man does not think her «ripe to be abride;» but we are immediately reminded of the precocity of nature under asouthern sun, by another magical touch of poetry, which tells us of youth andfreshness-of summer in «Aprir'-of „fresh female buds“ breathingthe fragrance of opening flowers. Juliet at length comes. We see the submissiveand gentle girl; but the garrulity of the nurse carries us back even to thePrettiest babe that e'er I nursed.
Neither Juliet nor Romeo had rightly read their ownhearts. He was sighing for a shadow-she fancied that she could subject herfeelings to the will of others: But no more deep will I endart mine eye, Thanyour consent gives strength to make it fly.
The preparation for their first interview goesforward; Benvolio has persuaded Romeo to go to the Capulet's feast. There is aslight pause in the action, but how gracefully it is filled up! Mercutio comesupon the scene, and is placed by the side of Romeo, to contrast with him, butalso to harmonize. The poetry of Mercutio is that of fancy; the poetry of Romeois that of imagination. The wit of Mercutio is the overflow of animal spirits,occasionally polluted, like a spring pure from the well-head, by the soil overwhich it passes; the wit of Romeo is somewhat artificial, and scarcelyself-sustained--it is the unaccustomed play of the intellect when the passions»have come to the clenching point," but it is under control, it hasno exuberance which, like the wit of Mercutio, admits the coloring of thesensual and the sarcastic. The very first words of Romeo show the change thathas come o'er him. He went into that «hall of Capulet's house»fearing Some consequence yet hanging in the stars.
He had «a soul of lead»--he would be «acandle-holder and look on.» But he has seen Juliet; and with what gorgeousimages has that sight filled his imagination!
Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! Herbeauty hangs upon the cheek of night As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear.
We have now the poetry of passion bursting upon us inits purple light. The lovers show the intensity of their abandonment to anovermastering will. «They see only themselves in the universe.» Thatis the true moral of their fate. But, even under the direst calamity, theycatch at the one joy which is left—the short meeting before the parting. Andwhat a parting it is! Here again comes the triumph of the beautiful over themerely tragic. They are once more calm. There love again breathes of all thesweet sights and sounds in a world of beauty. They are parting, but the almosthappy Juliet says:
It is not yet near day-Believe me, love, it was thenightingale.
Romeo, who sees the danger of delay, is not deceived:It was the lark, the herald of the morn.
Then what a burst of poetry follows!--
Night's candles are burnt out, and jocund day
Stands tiptoe on the misty mountains' tops.
Note the exquisite display of womanly tenderness inJuliet, which hurries from the forgetfulness of joy in her husband's presenceto apprehension for his safety. After this scene we are almost content tothink, as Romeo fancied he thought:
Come what sorrow can,
It cannot countervail the exchange of joy.
The sorrow does come upon poor Juliet with redoubledforce. The absolute father, the unyielding mother, the treacherous nurse—allhurrying her into a loathed marriage—might drive one less resolved to the vergeof madness. But from this moment her love has become heroism. She sees
No pity sitting in the clouds-- She rejects hernurse—she resolves to deceive her parents. This scene brings out her characterin its strongest and most beautiful relief.
The final catastrophe comes. They have paid thepenalty of the fierce hatreds that were engendered around them, and of theirown precipitancy; but their misfortunes and their loves have healed theenmities of which they were the victims.
Montagues and Capulets
At the very beginning of Romeo and Juliet, the Choruschants that the blood feud between the Montagues and Capulets has been going onfor a long time.
The audience never learns the source of the quarrel,but certainly the «ancient grudge» has recently grown stronger.According to the Prince, brawls that «have thrice disturb'd the quiet ofour streets» (1.1.91).
Audiences may wonder why the Montagues and Capuletscan't move forward and forgive. Blood is spilling in the streets and theirchildren wind up in an awful situation. What's the matter with these people?Are they terribly uncaring[5]?
The audience learns that these are respectable people— «two households, both alike in dignity,» (Prologue. 1) from theoutset of the play. The Montagues and the Capulets are venerable families ofVerona, and as such they command respect. Even Prince Escalus shows themrespect though their longstanding enmity angers him. The lenient sentence ofRomeo's banishment (rather than the punishment of death) demonstrates thePrince's willingness to cut the families a break. He would not likely extendthe same courtesy to a family of lesser stature
But the respect commanded by a noble family does notgive very much insight into the nature of these parents and their relationshipswith their children. Shakespeare leaves those clues in the text.
In only two scenes in the entire play are all fourparents are present. The first is the street fight involving Benvolio, aMontague, and Tybalt, a Capulet. The elder generation arrives when the battleis already underway. Old Montague and Capulet immediately want to enter thefray, particularly when each sees the other ready to fight.
This brief exchange among the four parents provides alot of insight into the dynamic of the relationships. First, Capulet demandshis weapon. Why does he want it? Not because he has any idea what started thefight or because he wishes to aid his nephew, Tybalt, but because Old Montagueis drawing his own weapon. Capulet is angered because Montague is not afraid ofhim. Capulet's response is awfully immature.
And Montague appears no better. He immediately renewsthe old, unexplained quarrel. He calls Capulet a «villain,» thoughCapulet has not yet done anything villainous. Montague also insists that he notbe held back from having his way with Capulet.
Imagine the foolishness of this scene. Two old men innightgowns are brandishing weapons at one another and name-calling while bloodis being spilled around them. Is this noble? Only their wives demonstraterestraint and prevent them from fighting. Look how each woman addresses herhusband. Though both women are saying the same thing --«Calm down. Youcan't fight.» — each uses a very different tone.
Lady Capulet is bitter and sarcastic. One word, inparticular, underscores her cynicism. Lady Capulet tells her husband, «Whoare you kidding. You are way too old to fight. You need a crutch, not asword.»
Lady Montague, too, seems to have a pretty tight reignon her hubby. She says, «Though shalt not stir one foot to seek afoe» (1.1.80). She might as well draw a line in the dirt with her foot andsay «Don't you dare cross this line looking for a fight, buddy. If you do,you deal with me.» Though the women don't speak to one another or getinvolved in the fighting, it seems clear that each is tired of the situation.
Lady Montague, too, seems to have a pretty tight reignon her hubby. She says, «Though shall not stir one foot to seek afoe» (1.1.80). She might as well draw a line in the dirt with her foot andsay «Don't you dare cross this line looking for a fight, buddy. If you do,you deal with me.»
Though the women don't speak to one another or getinvolved in the fighting, it seems clear that each is tired of the situation.
These are the last words Lady Montague speaks in theplay. But, some important aspects of her character have been established. Shedidn't want her husband involved in a brawl, and she is worried about her son.She doesn't seem like such a bad wife and mother.
Taking his wife's cue, Montague inquires of Benvoliothe reason for Romeo's distant and aloof melancholy.
These parents are worried about their son. They wantto know what is up with him, and they would like to be able to help.
2. 2. Peculiar features of significant scenes (subject and themes)
In Act I Scene 5 Romeo and Juliet meet. Note that in spite of its title,this play has very few scenes in which both lovers are present. The others arethe balcony scene (2.2), the short wedding scene (2.6) and the opening of Act3, Scene 5. The lovers are both on stage in Act 5, Scene 3 — but Romeo killshimself before Juliet wakes.
Shakespeare prepares for this scene by showing Romeo's infatuation withRosaline (a very strong “crush” on her). On the guest list for the party,Rosaline is described as Capulet's “fair niece”, but she never appears in theplay. Benvolio (in 1.2) has promised to show Romeo a more attractive woman, butdoesn't really have anyone special in mind, as far as we know. Similarly, weknow that Juliet is there because Capulet wants to give Paris a chance to meether — this is why he throws the party[6].
Capulet's speech to Paris (in 1.2) suggests that Juliet has not been outof her house much (only, perhaps, to go to worship and confession at FriarLawrence's cell). Maybe this is why Paris (a family friend) has noticed her,but Romeo has no idea who she is. Immediately before this scene, Romeo hasspoken of his fear that some terrible “consequence [result] yet hanging in thestars” shall begin at “this night's revels” (Capulet's party). Does this fearcome true? Tybalt's behaviour has also been prepared for by the brawl in theplay's first scene.
In the scene, several things happen. Servants do their job, Capulet chatsto a friend, Tybalt sees Romeo, wants to fight him and is told off by Capuletfor his behaviour. Romeo and Juliet meet, and each finds out who the other is. But the most important things in thescene are:
1  the way Romeo falls inlove with Juliet at first sight
2  and the way this contrastswith Tybalt's anger and hatred.
Romeo never knows that it is his presence at the party that causes Tybaltlater to challenge him to a duel. These things lead to the events of Act 3,Scene 1, where Mercutio and Tybalt die.
The structure of the scene
In the opening the servants speak informally (in prose, not verse), aboutall the work they have to do. This prepares for the grand entrance when theCapulets come on stage, in procession, wearing their expensive clothing andspeaking verse. Romeo's comments about Juliet alternate with Tybalt's attemptto attack Romeo — who does not know that he's been noticed. At the end of thescene, the Nurse tells each lover who the other one is.
Within this general outline, Shakespeare shows the most important episodeis that where Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time. This has the form of asonnet (a rhyming fourteen line poem) — which many in the 16th Century audiencewould notice, as they heard the pattern of rhymes.
In Act 2 Scene 1 this scene occurs immediately after Romeo has marriedJuliet — which explains his friendliness to Tybalt. The general contrast oflove and hate in the play is explicit (very clear) in this scene.
Another theme of the play that is strong in this scene is the idea thatwe are not in control of our lives (the Friar will say to Juliet later: “Agreater power than we can contradict/Hath thwarted our intents”). Here whenRomeo has killed Tybalt he cries out: “I am fortune's fool”. What does thismean?
Yet another theme that appears is that of the feud and how innocent livesare harmed by it. Here it is Mercutio who curses the feuding families: “Aplague on both your houses!” What does this mean? Later Paris, too, will diebecause of the feud, as well as the young lovers who belong to the feudingfamilies but have wanted not to be part of the quarrel.
Act III Scene 5 opens with Juliet saying goodbye to Romeo, who must leavefor Mantua. In the previous scene the audience has heard Capulet offer Juliet'shand in marriage to Paris. We understand why he does this, but we know manythings he does not know.
We can foresee that Juliet will not be happy about her father's decision.Once Romeo has gone, Lady Capulet tells Juliet she must marry. Juliet refuses,and her father angrily insists that she marry Paris or be turned out of thehouse. Alone with the Nurse, Juliet asks for advice. She replies that Julietshould marry Paris. Juliet is astounded and pretends to agree to this advice,while deciding that the only person who can help her is Friar Lawrence. Now shefeels most alone in the world.
Modern audiences may wonder what the problem is — why does Juliet notpretend to go through with the marriage? But Shakespeare's audience knows thatit is a mortal sin to attempt marriage when you are already married. If you dothis, you will certainly be damned (go to Hell). And there is no way that theFriar would conduct such a marriage ceremony, which is one of the sacraments(holy ceremonies or mysteries) of the church. The Nurse must know this, too,but it seems that she does not really believe in, or care about, heaven andhell.
The key to this scene is what various people know:
Capulet thinks he knows what has upset his daughter (Tybalt's death) buthe is quite wrong.
Lady Capulet knows as little as her husband.
Juliet knows about her marriage to Romeo, but cannot explain to herparents.
Juliet doesn't know, until they tell her, about their plans for her tomarry Paris.
The Nurse, at this point, knows about Juliet's secrets.
Only the audience has the full picture. In the scene Juliet repeatedlyspeaks ambiguously — with one meaning for the person to whom she speaks, andanother for herself and the audience. For example, the audience knows thatJuliet knows that the Nurse knows that Juliet's parents don't know about hermarriage to Romeo! (Think about it.) Later we know that the Nurse does not knowthat Juliet is deceiving her. Throughout the whole scene, Shakespeare makesdramatic use of what people do or don't know.
The structure of the scene is a very simple sequence — the one commonelement being Juliet, who is present throughout. After the episode where shebids farewell to Romeo (not set for the Key Stage test), Juliet learns from hermother of the intended marriage to Paris. When Juliet defies her mother,Capulet argues with her. He even shouts at the Nurse, when she tries to defendJuliet. Finally, Juliet asks the Nurse for help. When the Nurse lets her down,Juliet is left alone on stage to explain (to the audience) what she is going todo.
3.2 “Romeo and Juliet” and their main characters
 
Romeo
Romeo may appear at first glance a changeable, inconsistent character.Perhaps the playwright's own idea of Romeo is not at first clear, or it may bethat his youth the strange and disconcerting circumstances in which he findshimself explain the apparent changes in Romeo's attitudes and behaviour.
Though the action of the play occurs over a period of a few days only,Shakespeare gives the impression of the passage of a longer time, and in thecourse of the drama Romeo appears to be aged by his experiences. So whileTybalt, in Act 3; scene 1, addresses Romeo as «boy», in the play'sfinal scene Romeo calls Paris «good gentle youth».
The Romeo of the early part of the play is definitely boyish but hisserious, pensive and fatalistic traits mark him off from his less reflectivecompanions — especially from Mercutio, who, with his blunt speech, his dislikeof pretence, his cynical philosophy and his reduction of all love to brutallust, serves as an excellent foil for Romeo.
Romeo's unrequited love for Rosaline may be evidence of his pessimisticand perverse character. It seems that Rosaline is attractive not for any easilyidentified perfections, so much as for the fact of her being out of reach (as aCapulet, and sworn to chastity), almost as if Romeo wishes to be rejected, sothat he can make a show of his despair. It is a pose that invites criticism oreven outright ridicule from Romeo's fellows, and Romeo appears to relish theargument, which is provoked by these comments, and by his defence of hisinfatuation.
Though Romeo exaggerates his gravity and dejection into a pose, yet thesebespeak a real fatalism of outlook, so that he views the future withapprehension, as when his mind «misgives...some consequence, yet hangingin the stars». While Romeo's frequent references to fate are often seen asevidence of the playwright's drawing the audience's-attention to the workingsof fortune, it may not be so much fate (in the sense of some adverse force,external to the lovers) which is at work, as Romeo's belief in it. There arecruel accidents of circumstance that befall the lovers, but in each case theseare compounded by their own deliberate actions. There is certainly aself-destructive impulse at work in their passion for one another.
By frequent reference to Romeo's youth (as in Capulet's words to Tybalt,at the feast) and by Romeo's own account of Rosaline's sworn chastityShakespeare suggests that Romeo, like Juliet, is a novice in matters of theheart, and so, like her, pure. This is supported by the fact that — (as only aninexperienced lover would) he seeks advice from the celibate priest, FriarLaurence, and confirmed by the nature of his first conversation with Juliet.This is in the form of a sonnet — a strikingly formal device in such asituation — in which the etiquette of courtship is metaphorically representedas an act of religious devotion; the exchange of words here is almostsacramental in quality.
Romeo is ruled by passion rather than reason: thus, when he discoversJuliet's identity, he at once recognises the obstacle which confronts his love,but is not at all deterred from it by considerations of prudence, practicalityor danger. «My life is my foe's debt,» he admits, without furtherado.
The exuberance of youth — at its most conspicuous in unrestrained,spontaneous, innocent passion — characterises Romeo's conversations with Julietafter he spies her on her balcony. The lovers say little of direct importance,but the rapturous exchange of passionate sentiment shows us how wrongMercutio's bawdy jests are in their dismissal of love as a mere animal appetitedemanding carnal gratification. (Shakespeare hints that this is an error, byletting us see another error in Mercutio's prior assumption that Romeo is notto be found because he is still pining for Rosaline.) Though Romeo's behaviourimmediately after meeting Juliet may appear more boyish (because lessmelancholy) than his earlier gravity, the real difference is between youthfuldejection (producing an exaggerated affectation of adult disillusionment) andyouthful rapture.
With the compliance of the Nurse and Friar Laurence the lovers areswiftly married. In a way it is this that precipitates the unlucky series ofevents, which leads to Romeo's banishment. Tybalt's slaying of Mercutio andRomeo's realisation of his part in his friend's death call forth a new qualityin Romeo, which also springs from his awareness of his adult (because married)status. In his avenging of Mercutio's death, Romeo displays a grimdetermination and manliness not hitherto seen, a lack of thought or fear forthe consequences of his action — he follows the prompting of passion ratherthan of reason, just as in his clandestine marriage to Juliet he has rejectedpolitic calculation, and obeyed his heart.
From this point Romeo's actions are more and more dictated by passion,and less and less by reason. He panics, and flies to Laurence's cell. Here hediscovers that he is to be banished, and becomes almost hysterical at theprospect of separation from Juliet. Drawing a hasty conclusion from the firstwords of the Nurse (to whom he has not properly attended) he believes he hasforfeited Juliet's love in killing Tybalt, and attempts to stab himself, beingprevented by the Nurse's intervention and Laurence's plain-speaking. Themanliness of Act 3, Scene 1 has for the moment deserted the boy, Romeo.
Like the earlier balcony-scene, the bed-chamber scene serves to show theunrestrained, imprudent character of the youthful lovers: at any moment LadyCapulet may enter (she should, if she had obeyed her husband's instructions,already have done so) and Romeo's life is forfeit if he be found in Verona. Yetfirst Juliet, then Romeo (as their roles in the argument are switched) pleadsthe case for his delaying his departure. Juliet's parting words to Romeo(«Methinks I see thee...As one dead in the bottom of a tomb») are notcalculated to allay his fears. His fatalistic outlook and impetuous haste bringabout the completion of the tragedy, every bit as much as accidents ofcircumstance, or decisions made by other characters. (These include thedecision of Capulet to bring forward Juliet's wedding-day from Thursday toWednesday; the nature of Laurence's desperate scheme to prevent Juliet's«marrying» Paris; Friar John's failure to bring Laurence's message toRomeo.)
On hearing Balthasar's news that Juliet has died, Romeo acts with extremehaste, and the servant's disregarded advice («I do beseech you… havepatience») draws attention to this. Romeo's immediate thought is ofsuicide. This might (for a heart-broken lover) make sense, if he were sure ofhis bride's death. But Romeo, surprisingly, seems unconcerned to learn thecircumstances and cause of Juliet's death (it might, after all, as Mercutio'shas done, require avenging). If Romeo were to learn of the intended marriage toParis and to note the timing of Juliet's death, he might discern something ofLaurence s intention. But Romeo does not question Balthasar further (how muchmore he knows or believes is thus an academic question), nor does he, onreturning to Verona, consult the friar.
He may have some reason for this: he believes Balthasar has told him thetruth (and he will verify in the Capulet tomb what he has been told). And thefriar, were Romeo to visit him, would perhaps try to dissuade him from suicide.However, it is Romeo's failure to enquire into the cause of Juliet's supposeddeath, which guarantees the play's fatal outcome — though Shakespeare, at thelast, taunts the audience by an unforeseen interruption (Paris's appearance,improbably coinciding with Romeo's arrival, at the tomb). This delays Romeo'sotherwise hasty actions in this scene — but by just too little to save him.Though Romeo acts precipitately in his suicidal return to Verona, there is anecessary checking of his haste as he contemplates the scene before him in thetomb. He has time to recognise the fact that he is not the only victim offortune, and he generously carries out the dying wish of Paris, to be buried inthe same tomb as Juliet, laying in the Capulet vault the body of 'lonewrit" with him «in sour misfortune's book». He delays taking thepoison long enough to make sympathetic speeches to the bodies of both Paris andTybalt. And he delays further as he remarks that Juliet, though dead (as hebelieves her) still has lively colour in her lips and cheeks. (The audienceknows why, but the hasty Romeo fails to discern the cause of this symptom.) Yetit is the haste that has gone before that has shaped the course of events.
Strikingly, though much has been made of the operation of fate indetermining Romeo's and Juliet's fortunes, Romeo, at the last, defies itsinfluence, and claims he will: «shake the yoke of unauspicious stars Fromthis world-wearied flesh».
Convinced fatalists will argue that Romeo, ironically, is fulfilling thedecrees of fate, even as he claims to be free of its influence, because he isfated to die at this point. Romeo himself, speaking to no-one who is able tohear him, believes that in taking the poison, he makes himself free of the«unauspicious stars», under the yoke of which he has suffered somuch. The deeper irony is that the news that can, even now, save him will cometoo late not because of the operation of inexorable fortune, but because of hisown excessive haste in his reaction to Balthasar's news.
Eyes, look your last.
Arms, take your last embrace.
And, lips, O you the doors of breath,
Seal «with a righteous kiss
A dateless bargain to engrossing death
Romeo thanks the apothecary for his skill and drinksthe poison.
The effects of the sleeping potion wear off, andJuliet awakens calling for Romeo. Finding him next to her, dead, with a cup inhis hand, she guesses what has transpired. She tries to kiss the poison fromhis lips, but failing that, unsheathes his dagger and plunges it into herbreast.
Friar Lawrence learns that Romeo has not received hisletter and rushes to Juliet's tomb to rescue her. He discovers the tomb alreadyopen and finds the sad contents within. Soon the Friar is joined by the NightWatchman, who had been alerted to the disturbance. Then the families gatheraround the star-crossed lovers. The Friar's mournful account of their deathshames the two families into ending their feud forever.
Romeo is initially presented as a Petrarchan lover, aman whose feelings of love aren't reciprocated by the lady he admires and whouses the poetic language of sonnets to express his emotions about hissituation. Romeo's exaggerated language in his early speeches characterizes himas a young and inexperienced lover who is more in love with the concept ofbeing in love than with the woman herself.
The play's emphasis on characters' eyes and the act oflooking accords with Romeo's role as a blind lover who doesn't believe thatthere 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 ofBenvolio's advice to find another love to replace Rosaline, highlights Romeo'simmaturity as a lover. Similar imagery creates a comic effect when Romeo fallsin love at first sight with Juliet at the Capulet feast. When Romeo seesJuliet, he realizes the artificiality of his love for Rosaline: «Did myheart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For 1 ne'er saw true beauty tillthis night» (1.5.52-53).
As the play progresses, Romeo's increasing maturity asa lover is marked by the change in his language. He begins to speak in blankverse as well as rhyme, which allows his language to sound less artificial andmore like everyday language.
The fated destinies of Romeo and Juliet areforeshadowed throughout the play. Romeo's sense of foreboding as he makes hisway to the Capulet feast anticipates his first meeting with Juliet: my mindmisgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin hisfearful date (1.4.106-107)
Romeo's role first as a melancholy lover in theopening scenes of the play and then as a Juliet's secret love is significant.Romeo belongs in a world defined by love rather than a world fractured by feud.Tybalt's death in Act III, Scene 1, brings about the clash between the privateworld of the lovers and the public world of the feud. Romeo is reluctant tofight Tybalt because they are now related through Romeo's marriage to Juliet.
When Tybalt kills Mercutio, however, Romeo (out ofloyalty to his friend and anger at Tybalt's arrogance) kills Tybalt, thusavenging his friend's death. In one ill-fated moment, he placed his love ofJuliet over his concern for Mercutio, and Mercutio was killed. Romeo thencompounds the problem by placing his own feelings of anger over any concernsfor Juliet by killing Tybalt.
Romeo's immaturity is again manifest later when helearns of his banishment. He lies on the floor of the Friar's cell, wailing andcrying over his fate. When the nurse arrives, he clumsily attempts suicide. TheFriar reminds him to consider Juliet and chides him for not thinking throughthe consequences of his actions for his wife.
The Friar then offers a course of action to follow,and Romeo becomes calm. Later, when Romeo receives the news of Juliet's death,he exhibits maturity and composure as he resolves to die. His only desire is tobe with Juliet: «Well Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight» (V.I.36).His resolution is reflected in the violent image he uses to order Balthasar,his servant, to keep out of the tomb:
The time and my intents are savage-wild,
More fierce and more inexorable far .
Than empty tigers or the roaring sea.
(V.3.37)
After killing Paris, Romeo remorsefully takes pity onhim and fulfills Paris' dying wish to be laid next to Juliet. Romeo notes thatboth he and Paris are victims of fate and describes Paris as: «One writwith me in sour misfortune's book» (V.3.83) since Paris experienced anunreciprocated love from Juliet similar to Romeo's unrequited love forRosaline. Romeo is also filled with compassion because he knows that Paris hasdied without understanding the true love that he and Juliet shared.
Romeo's final speech recalls the Prologue in which the«star-cross'd» lives of the lovers are sacrificed to end the feud:
Ohere.
Will I set up my everlasting rest
And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars
From this world wearied flesh.
The Nurse
When we first meet the Nurse, we see her as a coarse and talkative, butwell-intentioned woman, without affectation, and having Juliet's best interestsat heart. Finally we discover, as Juliet does (passing judgement for us) thatthe Nurse does not really understand Juliet's love for Romeo and herfaithfulness. The Nurse is shown to be essentially lewd and promiscuous.
The first thing that strikes us about the Nurse is her manner ofspeaking.
She is extremely garrulous, prone to trivial and irrelevant orinappropriate reminiscences, Thus, when Lady Capulet broaches the subject ofJuliet's marriage, her reference to her daughter's age provokes from the Nursea stream of recollections of Juliet's infancy and childhood. This shows theNurse to be both long-winded and insensitive to the importance Lady Capuletaccords to the subject of her daughter's future.
In her speeches the Nurse is rarely logical: thus, her evidence fordetermining Juliet's age is derived by estimating her birth to have occurredthree years before a celebrated earthquake (three years being an approximationof the time taken for Juliet's weaning); in her advising Juliet to take Parisas husband in place of Romeo, the Nurse again produces confused reasoning,changing her ground several times.
The Nurse's conversation is marked by frequent and un-self-conscious useof coarse and earthy expressions: she is not able (or does not realise that sheought) to refrain from such coarseness even when speaking to Lady Capulet — happily referring to her late husband's improper prediction concerning Juliet,and comparing the bump on Juliet's forehead to «a young cockerel'sstone».
Lady Capulet's changing of her mind, to allow the Nurse to be privy toher suggesting to Juliet that she consider Paris as a suitor tells us severalthings: Lady Capulet's initial uncertainty doubtless stems from her fear thatthe Nurse may (as she does) interrupt her own words to Juliet; it also tellsus, however, that the Nurse is in the confidence of her mistress who, despiteher faults, values her opinion.
The Nurse is evidently a much closer confidante of Juliet, her charge,than of her employers, as she happily assists Juliet in her secret marriage toRomeo. At the time of these events, we assume that the Nurse is motivated byaffection for Juliet, and an appreciation of the noble character of her lovefor Romeo.
Whether Mercutio knows the Nurse rather better than Juliet (which seemsimprobable) or whether (which seems more likely) his remarks are merelyintended to provoke a rather coarse old woman, his calling the Nurse (in Act 2;scene 4): «A bawd, a bawd, a bawd!» is wholly just. Ironicallyenough, on this occasion she is trying to appear genteel (hence her instructionto her servant: «My fan, Peter») and she takes offence at Mercutio's«ropery». Yet her protestations against Mercutio's remarks seem toconfirm her vulgarity, as she uses very common language, referring to«flirt gills» and «skains mates».
That the Nurse is a bawd becomes apparent (in 3; 5) in her advice toJuliet to marry Paris, on the grounds that Romeo is effectively lost to her. Itis clear that the Nurse thinks Juliet should have a man in her bed, and is nottroubled by the nicety of marriage — bigamy, for her, is no sin (so long asno-one finds it out, and she won't tell). She has no inkling that Juliet willtake offence at this, and fails to perceive the bitter irony of Juliet's«Amen». Knowing this, we now understand the relish with which theNurse has earlier told of her husband's prediction that Juliet would one dayfall backward (before a man's embraces). Her assistance of the young lovers intheir secret marriage has been principally motivated by the prospect of seeingJuliet bedded.
The audience watches and listens with revulsion as the Nurse laterattempts to rouse the drugged Juliet on the morning set for her wedding toParis, by coarse remarks about the count's designs on her. She last appears inthe play greatly distraught by her discovery that Juliet is (apparently) dead,yet not giving a second thought to the far-worse fate to which she wouldhappily have delivered her. Juliet's reproach and judgement of her have beenwell-merited.
The Nurse's key function within the play is to act asa go-between for Romeo and Juliet, and is the only other character besidesFriar Laurence to know of their wedding. The Nurse, despite being a servant inthe Capulet household, has a role equivalent to that of Juliet's mother andregards Juliet as her own daughter.
The Nurse's relationship with Juliet focuses attentionon Juliet's age. In Juliet's first scene, the Nurse repeatedly asserts thatJuliet has not yet had her 14th birthday. In contrast to Juliet's youth, theNurse is old and enjoys complaining about her aches and pains. Juliet'sfrustration at having to rely upon the Nurse as her messenger is used to comiceffect in Act II, Scene 5, when Juliet is forced to listen to the Nurse'sailments while trying to coax from her the news of her wedding plans:
The Nurse, like Mercutio, loves to talk at length. Sheoften repeats herself, and her bawdy references to the sexual aspect of loveset the idealistic love of Romeo and Juliet apart from the love described byother characters in the play. The Nurse doesn't share Juliet's idea of love;for her, love is a temporary and physical relationship, so she can't understandthe intense and spiritual love Romeo and Juliet share. When the Nurse bringsJuliet news of Romeo's wedding arrangements, she focuses on the pleasures ofJuliet's wedding night,
Nurse: I am the drudge, and toil in your delight,
 But you shall bear the burden soon at night"(II.5.75-76).
This clash in outlook manifests itself when sheadvises Juliet to forget the banished Romeo and marry Paris, betraying Juliet'strust by advocating a false marriage:
I think it best you married with the County.
O, he's a lovely gentleman.
Romeo's a dishclout to him.
(III.5.218-220)
Juliet can't believe that the Nurse offers such acourse of action after she praised Romeo and helped bring the couple together.The Nurse is ultimately subject to the whims of society. Her social positionplaces her in the serving class—she is not empowered to create change aroundher. Her maternal instinct toward Juliet buoys her to aid Juliet in marryingRomeo; however, when Capulet becomes enraged, the Nurse retreats quickly intosubmission and urges Juliet to forget Romeo.
Mercutio
Mercutio, the witty skeptic, is a foil for Romeo, theyoung Petrarchan lover. Mercutio mocks Romeo's vision of love and the poeticdevices he uses to express his emotions: Romeo, Humors! Madman! Passion! Lover!
Appear thou in the likeness of a sigh,
Speak but one rhyme and I am satisfied.
(0.1.7-9)
Mercutio is an anti-romantic character who, likeJuliet's Nurse, regards love as an exclusively physical pursuit. He advocatesan adversarial concept of love that contrasts sharply with Romeo's idealizednotion of romantic union. In Act I, Scene 4, when Romeo describes his love forRosaline using the image of love as a rose with thorns, Mercutio mocks thisconventional device by punning bawdily;
If love be rough with you, be rough with love;
Prick love for pricking and you beat love down.
(1.4.27-28)
The Queen Mab speech in Act I, Scene 4, displaysMercutio's eloquence and vivid imagination, while illustrating his cynicalside. Mercutio, unlike Romeo, doesn't believe that dreams can act as portents.Fairies predominate in the dream world Mercutio presents, and dreams are merelythe result of the anxieties and desires of those who sleep.
Mercutio's speech, while building tension for Romeo'sfirst meeting with Juliet at the Capulet ball, indicates that although Mercutiois Romeo's friend, he can never be his confidant. As the play progresses,Mercutio remains unaware of Romeo's love and subsequent marriage to Juliet.
When Mercutio hears of Tybalt's challenge to Romeo, heis amused because he regards Romeo as a lover whose experience of conflict islimited to the world of love. So he scornfully asks:
«And is he such a man to encounter Tybalt?»(II.3.16-17). Mercutio seems to exist outside the two dominant spheres ofVerona because he takes neither the world of love nor the feud seriously.However, Mercutio, like Tybalt, is quick-tempered and they are both ready todraw their swords at the slightest provocation.
Mercutio is antagonistic toward Tybalt by suggestingthat Tybalt is a follower of the new trends in swordsmanship, which he regardsas effeminate. Like Tybalt, Mercutio has a strong sense of honor and can'tunderstand Romeo's refusal to fight Tybalt, calling it, «0 calm,dishonorable, vile submission» (III. 1.72). Mercutio demonstrates hisloyalty and courage when he takes up Tybalt's challenge to defend his friend'sname.
The humor with which Mercutio describes his fatalwound confirms his appeal as a comic character; «No 'tis not so deep as awell, nor so wide as a church door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve» (III.1.94—95). Mercutio's death creates sympathy for Romeo's enraged, emotionalreaction in avenging his friend's death. His death marks a distinct turningpoint in the play as tragedy begins to overwhelm comedy, and the fates of theprotagonists darken.
Friar
Friar Laurence is presented as a holy man who istrusted and respected by the other characters.
The Friar's role as the friend and advisor to Romeoand Juliet highlights the conflict between parents and their children withinthe play. The centrality of the Friar's role suggests a notable failure ofparental love. Romeo and Juliet can't tell their parents of their love becauseof the quarrel between the two families.
In their isolation, Romeo and Juliet turn to the Friarwho can offer neutral advice. At first, the Friar can't believe how quicklyRomeo has abandoned Rosaline and fallen in love with Juliet, so he reminds Romeoof the suddenness of his decisions. The Friar uses the formal language of rhymeand proverbs to stress the need for caution to Romeo. However, he agrees tomarry Romeo and Juliet in the hope that their marriage will heal the riftbetween the Montagues and the Capulets. His decision to marry the lovers iswell-meaning but indicates that he has been naive in his assessment of the feudand hasn't reflected on the implications of Romeo and Juliet's clandestinemarriage.
The conflict between youth and old age also manifestsitself in the Friar's relationship with Romeo and Juliet. When Friar Laurencetries to soothe Romeo's grief at the news of his banishment with rationalargument, Romeo quickly responds that if the Friar were'young and in love, hewouldn't accept such advice any better.
The Friar's knowledge of plants—especially their dualqualities to heal and hurt—play an important role in the action that follows.His attempts to heal the feud by reversing nature— causing Juliet's«death» in order to bring about acceptance of her life with Romeo isnotably unnatural. The Friar must extricate Juliet from the tomb in order tosave her life—another reversal of nature. This use of nature for unnatural purposesprecipitates many of the consequences leading to the tragic conclusion of theplay. Ultimately, the Friar acts distinctly human—he flees the tomb andabandons Juliet.

4.2 Character relationships of Romeoand Juliet with Mercutio and Nurse
Shakespeare uses Mercutio and the Nurse to explore therelationship between comedy and tragedy in Romeo and Juliet. These characters,in their comic roles, serve as foils for Romeo and Juliet by highlighting thecouple's youth and innocence as well as the pure and vulnerable quality oftheir love.
Mercutio, Romeo's quick-tempered, witty friend, linksthe comic and violent action of the play.
He is initially presented as a playful rogue whopossesses both a brilliant comic capacity and an opportunistic, galvanizedapproach to love. Later, Mercutio's death functions as a turning point for theaction of the play. In death, he becomes a tragic figure, shifting the play'sdirection from comedy to tragedy.
Mercutio's first appearance in Act I, Scene 4, showsRomeo and his friend to be of quite opposite characters. Mercutio mocks Romeo asa helpless victim of an overzealous, undersatisfied love. Romeo describes hislove for Rosaline using the cliched image of the rose with thorns to stress thepain of his unrequited love.
Mercutio ridicules Romeo as a fashionable, Petrarchanlover for his use of conventional poetic imagery. He puns lewdly, «If lovebe rough with you, be rough with love; / Prick love for pricking and you beatlove down.» Whereas the naTve Romeo is in love with the idea of being inlove and devoted to the distant Rosaline, Mercutio is a predatory lover,hunting for objectified, female prey. His bawdy wit thus sets up Romeo to takethe role of the innocent tragic hero.
When Mercutio delivers his Queen Mab speech (also inAct I, Scene 4), he again characterizes Romeo as a clueless romantic forbelieving that dreams portend future events. Dismissing Romeo's Petrarchanoutlook, Mercutio presents his vision of a fantasy world in which dreams arethe products of people's fleshly desires. The speech reflects both Mercutio'seloquent wit and his aggressive disposition. In his speech, the comicactivities of the mischievous fairies are juxtaposed with the violent images ofa soldier's dream:
Sometime she driveth o'er a soldier's neck
And then dreams he of cutting foreign throats,
Of breaches, ambuscados, Spanish blades ....
(1.4.82-84)
After falling in love with Juliet, Romeo cannotconfide in his anti-romantic friend, so Mercutio never discovers Romeo's lovefor Juliet. Mercutio's ignorance of Romeo's new love, although potentiallycomical, propels him to the fatal fight with Tybalt in Act III, Scene 1.Mercutio's death enables Shakespeare to develop him as a tragic figure andalter the trajectory of the play from a comic to a tragic course.
Mercutio's final speech employs dark comedy toillustrate the tragic significance of the latest violence. After being stabbedby Tybalt, he admits his wound is fatal. Mercutio puns, «Ask for metomorrow and you shall find me a grave man.» Mercutio dies frustrated andangry—shocked and in disbelief that his fate is upon him. Until and even in themidst of that moment, his ignorance of the underlying forces that brought himto such an untimely end provides much of the ironic humor for the play.
In Act II, Scene 1, Mercutio and Benvolio's search forRomeo after the feast provides a comic interlude between Romeo and Juliet'sfirst meeting and the famous balcony scene in Act II, Scene 2, juxtaposing twovery different and conflicting attitudes to love. Mercutio and Benvolio call toRomeo, who has climbed into Capulet's orchard in the hope of seeing Julietagain. Mercutio's teasing is ironic because he is unaware that Romeo has fallenin love with Juliet and mistakenly invokes images of Rosaline to call him: Iconjure thee by Rosaline's bright eyes, By her high forehead and her scarletlip, By her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, And the demesnes thatthere adjacent lie. (11.1.17-21)
Mercutio's coarse physical imagery and sexual jokescontrast sharply with Romeo's religious imagery for love. Romeo describesJuliet as «bright angel» and «dear saint.» Shakespeare usesMercutio's cynical attitude to distinguish Romeo and Juliet's love as innocent,spiritual, and intense. Because the audience is aware that Mercutio's speechfalls on deaf ears, Mercutio's speech illustrates that the Romeo, thelovestruck youth, has begun to mature in his outlook on life and love. :
Like Mercutio, Juliet's Nurse views love as a purelysexual and temporary relationship, as opposed to Homeo and Juliet's love whichis presented as fragile and eternal. The Nurse's bawdy humor is lesssophisticated than Mercutio's. Her comedy comes from the Nurse's misunderstandingof language and her habit of repeating herself, rather than clever wordplay.For example, in Act 1, Scene 3, the Nurse exasperates Lady Capulet, who hascome to talk to Juliet of the proposed marriage to Paris, with her repeated andunrelated assertions that Juliet is only 13 years old.
Likewise, when the Nurse laughingly recounts the lewdjoke her husband made when Juliet fell over learning to walk—«Thou wiltfall backward when thou hast more wit»—her earthy humor contrasts withJuliet's adolescent innocence, while simultaneously pointing to Juliet's sexualdevelopment from a girl to a woman. Reflecting on the sensual pleasures thatawait Juliet on her wedding night, the Nurse puns about the likely consequenceof pregnancy for her young charge: «I am the drudge, and toil in yourdelight, / But you shall bear the burden soon at night.» The Nurse'spreoccupation with sexual love prevents her from understanding the nature ofJuliet's love for Romeo. Even though she fully understands that Juliet is beingbartered like livestock, she cannot see that any other social fate could existfor women. So, in Act III, Scene 5, the Nurse advises Juliet to forget Romeoand marry Paris when Capulet demands it. This development of her characterfurther isolates the couple and fuels the tragic consequences of their elevatedlove. Thus, while the Nurse drives some of the most comedic scenes in the play,within her comic commentaries are woven the subtler threads of tragedy createdby enslavement to social conventions.
Shakespeare uses the comic roles of Mercutio and theNurse to develop the roles of Romeo and Juliet as young tragic lovers. Prior toTybalt and Mercutio's deaths, the Nurse had served primarily as comic relief.After Mercutio dies, the Nurse's comic role changes to a less sympatheticone—helping to shift the focus to the tragic plight of Romeo and Juliet. Bothcomic characters' rejection of the ideal of love shared by Romeo and Julietemphasizes the vulnerable quality of that love and its inability to survive inthe world of the play.
Juliet
In Act 1 Scene 5 Romeo and Juliet meet. Note that in spite of its title,this play has very few scenes in which both lovers are present. The others arethe balcony scene (2.2), the short wedding scene (2.6) and the opening of Act3, Scene 5. The lovers are both on stage in Act 5, Scene 3 — but Romeo killshimself before Juliet wakes.
Shakespeare prepares for this scene by showing Romeo's infatuation withRosaline (a very strong “crush” on her). On the guest list for the party,Rosaline is described as Capulet's “fair niece”, but she never appears in theplay. Benvolio (in 1.2) has promised to show Romeo a more attractive woman, butdoesn't really have anyone special in mind, as far as we know. Similarly, weknow that Juliet is there because Capulet wants to give Paris a chance to meether — this is why he throws the party.
Capulet's speech to Paris (in 1.2) suggests that Juliet has not been outof her house much (only, perhaps, to go to worship and confession at FriarLawrence's cell). Maybe this is why Paris (a family friend) has noticed her,but Romeo has no idea who she is. Immediately before this scene, Romeo hasspoken of his fear that some terrible “consequence [result] yet hanging in thestars” shall begin at “this night's revels” (Capulet's party). Does this fearcome true? Tybalt's behaviour has also been prepared for by the brawl in theplay's first scene.
In the scene, several things happen. Servants do their job, Capulet chatsto a friend, Tybalt sees Romeo, wants to fight him and is told off by Capuletfor his behaviour. Romeo and Juliet meet, and each finds out who the other is. But the most important things in thescene are:
3  the way Romeo falls inlove with Juliet at first sight
4  and the way this contrastswith Tybalt's anger and hatred.
Romeo never knows that it is his presence at the party that causes Tybaltlater to challenge him to a duel. These things lead to the events of Act 3,Scene 1, where Mercutio and Tybalt die.
The structure of the scene
In the opening the servants speak informally (in prose, not verse), aboutall the work they have to do. This prepares for the grand entrance when theCapulets come on stage, in procession, wearing their expensive clothing andspeaking verse. Romeo's comments about Juliet alternate with Tybalt's attemptto attack Romeo — who does not know that he's been noticed. At the end of thescene, the Nurse tells each lover who the other one is.
Within this general outline, Shakespeare shows the most important episodeis that where Romeo and Juliet speak for the first time. This has the form of asonnet (a rhyming fourteen line poem) — which many in the 16th Century audiencewould notice, as they heard the pattern of rhymes.
In Act 3, Scene 5 we find out quite a lot about all of the charactershere. Juliet, only moments after being together with Romeo, is in a difficultsituation. At first she tries simple defiance, like many a teenager. At thesame time she uses irony — saying things that have a different real meaningfrom what appears on the surface. But she is also resourceful and ultimatelyvery brave. Lady Capulet at first seems concerned for her daughter, but whenJuliet defies her, she passes the problem on to her husband.
Capulet cares about Juliet, but he has given his word to Paris, and nowhe is angry and bullying. But it must seem to him that Juliet is being proudand ungrateful. Modern audiences should remember that arranged marriages arenormal for people of Juliet's class, and that Paris, a wealthy relation of thePrince, is a very good prospective husband for her. She is beyond the usual agefor marriage, and it is her father who in the past did not wish to marry heroff. So now he feels he has spoiled her, and made her “proud”.
This scene makes the audience completely rethink our opinion of theNurse. She has always seemed to care for Juliet and understand what matters toher. Now it becomes clear that the Nurse has never really understood her. Weare made to think again about coarse remarks the Nurse makes in Act 1, scene 3,and Mercutios's even coarser insults in Act 2, Scene 4. In this scene he callsher a “bawd” and suggests that she is “an old hare hoar” (“a hairy old whore”),as well as speaking obscenely about “the bawdy hand of the dial” being on “theprick of noon”. Perhaps Mercutio knows, or can see, what she is really like.
At the end of Act 3, scene 5 Juliet, now alone, says that from now on shewill not trust the Nurse. She only speaks to her one more time in the play,very briefly in Act 4, Scene 3, and here too Juliet misleads her. It isshocking to think that the Nurse cares more about Juliet marrying, and perhapshaving babies, than about her eternal soul or about her real love for Romeo,her husband.
5.2 The language of the play
The interesting features of the play’s language can be obviously seen inthe first act (scene 5). When Romeo sees Juliet he speaks about her, usingmetaphor: “She doth teach the torches to burn bright”. This tells us thatJuliet's beauty is much brighter than that of the torches — so she is verybeautiful. She is so much brighter that she teaches the torches how to shine — a poetic exaggeration, since torches can't really be taught. It is importantfor Romeo to say this, as the audience cannot see Juliet's beauty directly — inShakespeare's theatre a boy, perhaps seen at some distance, plays Juliet. Butthe metaphor also tells us that it is night, as Romeo can see the torches hecompares her to. The audience must imagine this, as the play is performed bydaylight, and no lighted torch would be safe in the theatre (the real Globetheatre was eventually destroyed by fire). At a private performance, at nightin a rich person's house, there might be real torches on the walls, of course[7].
There are other interesting comparisons. In 1.2 Benvolio has said that hewill show Romeo women who will make his “swan” (Rosaline) look like a “crow”(supposedly a common and ugly bird). Now Romeo, in a very similar comparison,says that Juliet (whose name he does not yet know) is like a “snowy dove” among“crows” (the other women). She stands out in a dark room as a bright jewel(which would catch the torchlight) in the ear of a dark-skinned person. Thecontrast of light and darkness in these comparisons suggests that Juliet isfair-skinned and perhaps fair-haired while most of the other women are dark.Although other people are on stage as Romeo says these things, he really speakshis thoughts or thinks aloud — so these speeches are soliloquies (solo speaking).
When Romeo speaks to Juliet he compares her hand to a holy place(“shrine”) which he may defile (“profane”) with his hand. He compares his lipsto pilgrims that can “smooth” away the “rough touch” of the hand with a kiss.
“Gentle sin” is what we call an oxymoron — a contradiction. Why? Because“gentle” means noble or virtuous (in the 16th Century) while a “sin” is usuallythe opposite of noble. Juliet explains that handholding is the right kind ofkiss for pilgrims, while lips are for praying. Romeo's witty response is to askfor permission to let his lips do what his hands are allowed to, and Julietagrees to “grant” this for the sake of his prayers. When Romeo kisses her,Juliet says she has received the sin he has “purged” from himself. Romeo insistsat once that he must take it back — and kisses her again!
Note how, throughout this scene (apart from the servants who use informalthou/thee/thy pronoun forms) the characters (even Romeo and Juliet) oftenaddress each other with the formal and respectful pronoun you. When Capulet isbeing pleasant to Tybalt he uses thou/thee/thy but when he becomes angry heswitches to you. The same thing happens when he becomes angry with Juliet inAct 3, scene 5.
Verse and prose
There is too much interesting language in the scene to cover in thisshort guide, which will give a selection of interesting features of language inact II (scene 1) We should notice here that often in this play Mercutio speaksin prose. This is a mark of informality, but not of low social class — Hamlet,Theseus and Prince Hal (in three other plays) as well as Mercutio are all fromroyal families yet all sometimes speak in prose. Speaking in prose shows theirattitude to the situation they are in or the person they are addressing.
In this scene various characters speak in prose, but after Mercutio'sdeath the more serious mood is shown as characters all speak in blank(unrhymed) verse. This is kept up until the end of the scene, where Benvolio,Lady Capulet, Montague and the Prince all speak in rhyming verse (Benvoliodrops the rhyme in the middle of his long narrative). Comment on the effectthis has on the audience.
Language use for dramatic effect
Look at how the enemies try to win the verbal battle. Explain howMercutio tries to upset Tybalt in various ways. First, he plays on his name(“ratcatcher…King of cats...nine lives”). He ridicules (he has also done thisin an earlier scene) Tybalt's supposed skill in fencing (“Alla stoccata…Come,sir, your passado”).
Look at attitudes to social class. Why does Tybalt call Romeo a “villain”and why does Romeo deny this? He also refers to Romeo as “my man”, and Mercutiochallenges this. Why? Comment on the word “gentlemen” which appears severaltimes, and “sir”. Explain why Tybalt calls Romeo “boy” more than once in thisscene. Look at the form of the second person pronoun. See whether people calleach other “you” (formal) or “thou/thee” (also “thy” = your) which is informal(less respectful). Tybalt usually calls Mercutio “you” but changes to “thou” whenhe accuses him of “consorting” with Romeo. Why?
If you are puzzled by this, be aware that language use has changed sinceShakespeare's time. A villain in earlier times was a common person — so thename, applied to a nobleman like Romeo, would be an insult. In calling him myman Tybalt speaks of him as if he were a servant — which is why Mercutio sayshe won't “wear” Tybalt's “livery” the uniform of his servant). The 16th centuryaudience would understand this as they heard it — today it needs spelling out.
What is the effect of Mercutio's response to Tybalt's request for a“word” — “Couple it with something; make it a word and a blow”? Note alsoMercutio's last words: “A plague” is a powerful curse in Verona (the plague isin the city) and Shakespeare's audience would find it effective.
Language use for poetic and figurative effect
This very active scene is not the best place to look for good poetry (wefind this in the scene where the lovers meet, or the balcony scene or even inMercutio's description of “Queen Mab”).
For figurative language we need only look at Mercutio's “fiddlestick” — what is a real fiddlestick and what has he instead? A more powerful poeticimage is found in Romeo's challenge to Tybalt:
“...for Mercutio's soul
Is but a little way above our heads,
Staying for thine to keep him company
Either thou, or I, or both must go with him.”
Explain this image and its effect on the audience.
Perhaps the most powerful (and famous) poetic image is in Romeo's lastwords in the scene, where he says he is «fortune's fool». What doeshe mean by this? What is its effect on the audience?
Benvolio gives a convincing account of the fighting, contrasting Tybalt'sand Mercutio's aggression with Romeo's attempts at peace. We see why LadyCapulet disbelieves him, but he tells the truth. Comment on the audience'sresponse here:
we know Benvolio is truthful
we know why Lady Capulet disputes his account
we know why what she says might seem plausible (believable)
we know that the Prince knows Tybalt's character, as reported by Benvolio
Patterns and details of words and images
This scene (like this whole play) has lots of patterns and wordplay. Muchof it is from Mercutio. See for example his claim that Benvolio (a verypeaceful person) would quarrel with a man for “cracking nuts” as he (Benvolio)has “hazel eyes”.
A more developed series of jokes is in his response to Tybalt's claimthat he “consortest” with Romeo. This is the cue for a series of puns aboutmusic (“minstrels” and “dance” leading to “fiddlestick”).
Another series of jokes comes when Mercutio is wounded: first he issarcastic (his wound is not as “deep as a well” or “wide as a church door” butquite enough to kill him) then he makes a bad pun (“grave man”). Finally, helists animals to insult his killer: “A dog, a rat, a mouse, a cat, to scratch aman to death”.
A more elaborate pattern is found in Tybalt's challenge to Romeo andRomeo's replies. Earlier in the play we have heard Romeo take up others' words(Benvolio's or Mercutio's) and answer them with a slightly changed version.When Tybalt sarcastically says “the love I bear thee” (no love at all) Romeoresponds with “the reason that I have to love thee”, while “Thou art a villain”becomes “villain am I none”. “Boy, this shall not excuse the injuries...” ismet with “I do protest I never injur'd thee”. Finally the direct challenge:“Therefore turn and draw” is countered with “And so…be satisfied”.
In explaining the effect of this scene on the audience, you areencouraged to refer to any versions of the play in performance that you haveseen. How particular directors or actors interpret it may be helpful. Make sureyou present this work in an appropriate written or spoken format.
One more peculiar features of Shakespeare’s language can be observed inact III (scene 5). The most important feature of Juliet's speech in this sceneis ambiguity or double meanings. When Lady Capulet says that Romeo (by killingTybalt) has caused Juliet's grief, she agrees that Romeo has made her sad, andthat she would like to get her hands on him. By placing one word — “dead” — between two sentences, Juliet makes her mother think she wants Romeo dead,while really saying that her heart is dead because of him.
When she swears “by Saint Peter's Church and Peter too”, her mother thinksshe is just using a strong oath — but the audience knows that Saint Peterdecides who goes to heaven or hell: so she is swearing by the saint who woulddisallow a bigamous marriage. Later, Juliet speaks sarcastically to the Nurse,who thinks she is sincere, when she says that the Nurse has comforted her“marvellous much”, with her suggestion of “marrying” Paris.
Juliet's last speech in this scene, as she is alone on stage, is, ofcourse, a soliloquy — it shows what she is thinking.
Both parents use interesting comparisons for Juliet's tears. Lady Capuletsuggests that Juliet is trying to wash Tybalt from his grave, because she iscrying so much — she tells her daughter that she is crying too much, and makesa play on the words much and some — “Some grief shows much of love”, but “muchgrief shows some want [absence] of wit” [common sense or sense of proportion].Lady Capulet means that Juliet is overdoing her show of grief. This kind ofcontrast, where similar words are rearranged in two halves of a sentence toshow opposite meanings, is called antithesis.
Capulet also notices Juliet's tears but uses an extended metaphor. Hecompares the light rain [drizzle] of a real sunset with the heavy downpour ofJuliet's tears for the metaphorical sunset [death] of his brother's son[Tybalt]. He develops this into the idea of a ship in a storm at sea — Juliet'seyes are the sea, her body is the bark [ship] and her sighs are the winds.
Another feature of the language is Capulet's range of insults. He claimsthat Juliet is proud: she insists that she is not, and Capulet repeats the wordas evidence of her “chopt-logic” or splitting hairs. These insults may seemmild or funny today, but were far more forceful in the 16th Century:“green-sickness carrion”, “tallow-face”, “baggage...wretch” and “hilding”.
Capulet contrasts Paris's merits as a husband with Juliet's immatureobjections. He says that Paris is “Of fair demesnes, youthful and nobly ligned”and “stuffed...with honourable parts”. He calls his daughter a “wretched pulingfool” and a “whining mammet”, before sarcastically mimicking her objections tothe match: “I cannot love...I am too young”. The audience knows of course thatshe can and does love (it is Rosaline who cannot), and that she is obviouslynot “too young” to marry. See if you can find out what these insults mean. Tryto remember them, and act out the scene, making them as forceful as you can.
Also, when Capulet becomes angry, he uses language inventively — so theadjective [describing word] proud becomes both verb and noun: “proud me noprouds”. And finally, he reminds us of his power over Juliet by speaking of heras if she were a thoroughbred horse, which he can sell at will — “fettle yourfine joints”, he says, meaning that she must prepare herself for marriage.
6.2 Peculiarities of stagecraft[8]
Most adequately stagecraft can be analyzed through act I, Scene 5: whenRomeo sees Juliet he speaks about her, using metaphor: “She doth teach thetorches to burn bright”. This tells us that Juliet's beauty is much brighterthan that of the torches — so she is very beautiful. She is so much brighterthat she teaches the torches how to shine — a poetic exaggeration, sincetorches can't really be taught. It is important for Romeo to say this, as theaudience cannot see Juliet's beauty directly — in Shakespeare's theatre a boy,perhaps seen at some distance, plays Juliet. But the metaphor also tells usthat it is night, as Romeo can see the torches he compares her to. The audiencemust imagine this, as the play is performed by daylight, and no lighted torchwould be safe in the theatre (the real Globe theatre was eventually destroyedby fire). At a private performance, at night in a rich person's house, there mightbe real torches on the walls, of course.
There are other interesting comparisons. In 1.2 Benvolio has said that hewill show Romeo women who will make his “swan” (Rosaline) look like a “crow”(supposedly a common and ugly bird). Now Romeo, in a very similar comparison,says that Juliet (whose name he does not yet know) is like a “snowy dove” among“crows” (the other women). She stands out in a dark room as a bright jewel(which would catch the torchlight) in the ear of a dark-skinned person. The contrastof light and darkness in these comparisons suggests that Juliet is fair-skinnedand perhaps fair-haired while most of the other women are dark. Although otherpeople are on stage as Romeo says these things, he really speaks his thoughtsor thinks aloud — so these speeches are soliloquies (solo speaking).
When Romeo speaks to Juliet he compares her hand to a holy place(“shrine”) which he may defile (“profane”) with his hand. He compares his lipsto pilgrims that can “smooth” away the “rough touch” of the hand with a kiss.
“Gentle sin” is what we call an oxymoron — a contradiction. Why? Because“gentle” means noble or virtuous (in the 16th Century) while a “sin” is usuallythe opposite of noble. Juliet explains that handholding is the right kind ofkiss for pilgrims, while lips are for praying. Romeo's witty response is to askfor permission to let his lips do what his hands are allowed to, and Julietagrees to “grant” this for the sake of his prayers. When Romeo kisses her,Juliet says she has received the sin he has “purged” from himself. Romeoinsists at once that he must take it back — and kisses her again!
Note how, throughout this scene (apart from the servants who use informalthou/thee/thy pronoun forms) the characters (even Romeo and Juliet) often addresseach other with the formal and respectful pronoun you. When Capulet is beingpleasant to Tybalt he uses thou/thee/thy but when he becomes angry he switchesto you. The same thing happens when he becomes angry with Juliet in Act 3,scene 5.
When analyzing act II, scene 1 we should refer to different performancesof the play that you have seen. You must comment on the action, use ofproperties and the structure of the scene.
To take the last first, the scene is really in a number of episodes:
1  first, Mercutio andBenvolio wait for the Capulets to arrive, and Mercutio trades insults withTybalt when they do;
2  then Romeo is challengedby Tybalt and refuses;
3  Mercutio fights Tybalt andis fatally wounded when Romeo intervenes;
4  Romeo pursues Tybalt andkills him;
5  finally Benvolio gives anaccount of events to the Prince, who banishes Romeo.
Use of props
In this scene, the most obvious stage props are the swords used in thefighting (in Baz Luhrmann's 1997 feature film there are guns [“Sword” is themanufacturer] and other weapons). Explain how swords would be used inShakespeare's theatre, and how they are used in performances of the play thatyou have seen. Are any other props used in this scene?
Action
There are two passages of fighting. The stage directions merely tell uswho fights and who dies. Shakespeare's own company would have known without anywritten directions how to perform the fights — such scenes were like stunts infilms today: the actors would impress the audience by their virtuosity (evidentskill) with the swords.
How long would this take on stage? How long does it take in productionsyou have seen? Are both fights similar? (They are very different from eachother in Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 film version.) Critical to the outcome of thefirst fight is Romeo's intervention — explain how this proves fatal for hisfriend, and how it is shown in performances you have seen. Is there any otheraction of interest?
Costume
How is costume important in this play, especially in versions you haveseen? Look at how costume distinguishes Capulet from Montague (shows who iswho). How does Zeffirelli use costume effectively to show the change in mood inthis scene?
Act III, scene 5 takes place in Juliet's bedchamber. We may see a bed (orsomething to represent a bed), but no other furniture is needed. Juliet'scostume may show that she has been in bed — though her parents do not suspectthat she has had Romeo's company. Otherwise, the scene relies mostly on speech.There are not many clues about action or use of props.
Both her parents speak about Juliet's weeping, and at one point Julietkneels to beg her father for pity. Capulet's outbursts against Juliet and theNurse may be opportunities for some physical action as well as verbalaggression to show his anger. What might he do to show how angry he is?

7.2 Contrasting the film and the play[9]
To assess Baz Luhrmann's use of setting in his film, Romeo+ Juliet, we can begin by contrasting the film with the play as it wasoriginally performed in the 16th-century theatre. The key difference betweenthe manner in which the film and the play deal with location is that the filmis primarily an image-intensive medium that can visually show the audience thelocale. Shakespearean drama, on the other hand, was written to be heard as anauditory experience. Shakespeare's audience referred to going to hear a playrather than see it, emphasizing that the Elizabethan theater was an auralrather than visual experience. On stage, the characters described the settingin their speeches. The actor's words had to convey all necessary informationabout plot, characters, and setting because the action took place on a bare,open-air stage, with only a few props and limited costumes. The plays wereperformed in the afternoon, and the playhouses did not have the advantages oflighting or special effects. For example, the scenes which take place at nightmake repeated references to objects associated with darkness, such as the moon,stars, and artificial sources of light, such as lamps and torches, to helpcreate a sense of atmosphere and setting. The Prologue sets the scene in boththe play and the film. In Romeo + Juliet, Luhrmann presents the Prologue as anews bulletin that gives the events a feeling of immediacy — the urgency of anon-the-spot news report. The news broadcaster has replaced the ShakespeareanChorus for a modern audience while retaining the Chorus's function of providingcommentary on events before they happen.
Luhrmann emphasizes the setting as the Prologue ends.The camera zooms forward to scenes of Verona, with the words «in fairVerona» flashing on the screen. Luhrmann presents Verona as a modern city,dominated by scenes of chaotic urban violence. Aerial shots pan across thecityscape as police cars and helicopters dart about, and human casualties arestrewn across the ground. Watching impassively is an enormous statue of Jesus.These opening shots of a city divided by violence sets the scene for thesubsequent action of the film.
These vivid location shots perform the same functionas the Prologue for Shakespeare's first audience. A 16th-century playgoer wouldhave associated the hot climate, fiery, passionate nature of the people, andstrong sense of family honor with the Italian locale. By comparison, the filmputs the viewer in the midst of the strife-torn city infected with crime and decay.The film uses these graphic images of violence to communicate the setting tothe audience. In the film, the first six lines of the Prologue are repeated asa voice-over to accompany more news footage covering the latest outbreak ofviolence caused by the feud. Media coverage of the civil unrest stresses howthe feud affects the entire city. As the voice reads, «Two houses bothalike in dignity,» the camera pulls back to reveal the photographs of bothfamilies on the front page of the city's newspaper. The next two lines of thePrologue are displayed as newspaper headlines and juxtaposed with clips of riotpolice attempting to restore order on the streets. The media's presentation ofthe feud illustrates the impact of the «ancient grudge» on the citywhile importing the play's introductory content in a format familiar to amodern audience. Both the Prologue and the opening scene of the film usesetting to establish the opposing parties. In the film version, we see how thetwo opposed families dominate Verona Beach from the way skyscrapers bearing thenames Montague and Capulet overshadow the city's horizon. Luhrmann follows thisimage with photographs of the two families on the front of the newspaperseparated by a photograph of the statue of Jesus. The repeated focus on theJesus statue and other religious icons comments on how religion, like the law,is no longer an effective means of maintaining peace and harmony in modernsociety. Shakespeare's disregard of religion as a force in maintaining social ordermay not have been so blatant as Luhrmann's treatment in the film. Shakespearepresents the Friar as a well-intentioned character despite the Friar'simpotence to affect the tragic outcome of the action.
In the opening scene, the city of Verona is renamedVerona Beach, evoking America's famous city on the beach, Miami. The film drawson pop-culture images such as those from Miami Vice, which depicted both urbanglamour and crime. Luhrmann clearly distinguishes the downtown area from thebeach. He associates the city with the violence of the feud and the idyllicbeach with love and peace.
The film illustrates these opposing forces through the use of a fire andwater motif. In both the news footage and an encounter between the Montaguesand Capulets at a gas station, flames repeatedly engulf the surroundings.«Fiery» Tybalt in particular seems to have a distinctly combustibleeffect on his surroundings. Romeo and Juliet, in contrast, are connected withwater throughout the film. We first see Romeo on the beach looking to theocean. Later, Romeo and Juliet see each other for the first time through a fishtank, and the famous balcony scene takes place in a swimming pool.
The beach, through its connection with the sea,becomes a place for change as opposed to the concrete, unchanging nature of thecity. Luhrmann uses the beach as the place where the worlds of love andconflict clash when peaceable Romeo encounters «fiery» Tybalt.Moments later, Mercutio is killed there, symbolizing a loss of innocence, aviolation of purity, and a defamation of a natural order.
Luhrmann places a huge Elizabethan stage on the beachto acknowledge the film's awareness of its Shakespearean heritage. The stagealso provides several characters an alternative vehicle for expressing their emotionaldevelopment, or lack thereof. Luhrmann presents a youthful, immature Romeoseated on stage, delivering his Rosaline-inspired «O brawling love»speech as a voice-over. The speech sounds stilted, stiff, and staged as thoughRomeo were a young, incompetent actor who merely recites his lines mechanicallywithout understanding their meaning.
Luhrmann chooses a modern city as the setting for hisfilm adaptation of Romeo and Juliet to present a chaotic urban world familiarto a 20th-century cinema audience. The media coverage of the feud makes theplay's events familiar to a modern audience as they watch violent video of thechaos on the streets of Verona Beach and are drawn into the feud-ravaged worldof the film.
The updated and renamed Verona Beach is a clevermechanism by which peaceful and violent worlds collide.
8.2 Comparing A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo andJuliet (Lesson Plan)
Keyquestions:
1. The course oftrue love
2. Friar Laurenceand the Nurse
3.  Almost fairy time: Veronaand Athens
4.  Tragedy and comedy: theproblem of fathers and daughters
5. Contrast of orderand disorder
6.  Pyramus and Thisbe and theplays in performance
7. Conclusion
For the best understanding of the play “Romeo and Juliet”we are requiredto study one or more of Shakespeare's plays for makink the comparativeanalysis… This task will allow us to discuss two plays. We could write atgreat length but this is not necessary, or even sensible. We will not try to retellthe plot of either play as a narrative (story). We shall only look at how theplay works on stage: use of props, costume and physical actions — either assuggested in the text, or as these appeared in any versions we have seen inperformance. We should consider effects of language and imagery, in context.Below are some ideas, which could form the outline of a response to the plays.We may find these helpful; ignore those that aren't.
When you (speak or) write about the play, you must refer to evidence:either quote dialogue, or explain what is happening in terms of action.Ideally, you should give Act and Scene (Roman [e.g. III, ii] or Arabic [e.g.3.2] numbers) and line numbers (not page numbers — do you know why?). Alwayscomment on, or explain the point of, what you quote. Do not write the verbquote at any point in your work, unless it is to explain that one character inthe play quotes another! In formal written English, quote is a verb andquotation is the corresponding noun. Quote as a noun is fine in speech,especially when referring to an estimate for work to be done (builder's quote).
The two plays were first performed at around the same time in the 1590s.They have obvious similarities of plot and theme, but clearly differentstructure and outcome. Briefly (no more than half a page) summarise thesesimilarities and differences.
«The course of true love never did run smooth»
How far are Lysander's words proved true by the (total) events in eitherplay? Are they a more suitable motto for one than the other? Why?
Puck and Oberon versus Friar Laurence and the Nurse
In A Midsummer Night's Dream Puck and Oberon watch over the young lovers(and Bottom) and save them from coming to any harm. Explain how they are ableto do this, through their magical powers. In Romeo and Juliet the Friar and theNurse try to help the tragic lovers but fail to save them. Compare theirefforts to help Romeo and Juliet with the efforts of Puck and Oberon. How andwhy are the fairies successful where human helpers fail? Compare the Friar'suse of magical or seeming magical herbs with Oberon's use of magical plants(Cupid's flower and Dian's bud).
"'Tis almost fairy time"
In both plays characters refer to fairies. Romeo and Juliet's longestspeech (spoken by Mercutio) is a description of Queen Mab, the «fairies'midwife», but he admits to making it up. In A Midsummer Night's DreamTheseus refers jokingly to “fairy time”, but may well not believe in fairiesany more than Romeo and Mercutio. What difference do the fairies make to thecomic world of A Midsummer Night's Dream compared to the harsher view of theworld that we see in Romeo and Juliet?
Verona and Athens
In both plays, the place where the action occurs is important. Comment onthe various settings within each play, and explain what it has to do with whathappens. (In A Midsummer Night's Dream look at Athens and the Palace Woodoutside the city; in Romeo and Juliet look at the city square in Verona,Capulet's house and garden, the Friar's cell, Mantua, and the Capulet tomb.)
Tragedy and comedy
Try to explain what these terms mean, as descriptions of types of play,when we apply them to A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet. Try torefer to their structure, theme and mood.
Fathers and daughters
In both plays we find heroines (Juliet and Hermia) who are subject to theauthority of their fathers. In one play we see a father begin by giving hisdaughter a lot of freedom, and end by removing it from her; in the other, wesee a father try to control his daughter's life for most of the play, but whois reconciled to her near its end. Comment on these relationships, as you seethem in the two plays. (Pyramus and Thisbe also supposedly have tyrannicalparents).
Contrast
Both plays exploit obvious contrasts for theatrical effect. Among theseare light and dark (or day and night), love and hate and the upper and lowerends of the social scale. Explain how any of these work to make the drama moreeffective.
Order and disorder
This is a contrast of theme you will find in almost any of Shakespeare'splays. In both A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet we see rulers(Theseus/Oberon and Prince Escalus) try to restore or maintain order, in theface of disruptive or anarchic behaviour. Show how this appears in each play, andhow important it is to the play's central themes. In each play there arefigures who represent disorder (Bottom and Puck; Mercutio and Tybalt). Explainhow these challenge the rulers' attempts to preserve order in their domains(territory).
Pyramus and Thisbe
In A Midsummer Night's DreamThe workmen's Lamentable Comedy can be seenas a parody (silly copy) of Romeo and Juliet. There are obvious similarities inthe plot (can you say what these are?) but not in the theatrical qualities ofthe two pieces. In Pyramus and Thisbe we see how not to do things which aredone much better elsewhere in A Midsummer Night's Dream,in Romeo and Juliet orin other plays by Shakespeare. (These include depicting wild animals, a wall,moonlight and killing on stage). Comment on how these things are done both inPyramus and Thisbe and in the plays proper. Comment on how hard or easy it isfor actors to speak the dialogue in Shakespeare's plays generally, and to speakthe verse we meet in Pyramus and Thisbe (look at the end of the Prologue, andthe dying speeches of the two lovers). Explain how the workmen's play is a goodcommentary on young lovers who take themselves too seriously.
The plays in performance
Comment on how the plays were presented in the versions you have seen.Was it a cinema, TV or stage performance? Comment on such things as costume,props and action; you may also refer to lighting, music, SFX, and anything elsewhich caught your interest. If you were to direct (in a given medium — stage,TV, cinema) how would you approach these things?
Conclusion
Explain what you like about either play or both. Say how well they workin performance, and what kind of response they provoke in the audience.
Remember to present your work attractively, with illustrations (foreaxmple, to show costume or props) and any diagrams (ideas for staging) toclarify your ideas.

III. Conclusion
 
1.3 Studying Romeo and Juliet — criteria forassessment
 
The headings below show how details of the play relate to the broadheadings for assessment of work on Shakespeare.
1  Nature ofplay/implications/moral or philosophical significance
This refers to the ideas or themes in the play — what it is about but notits story. In Romeo and Juliet this means at least the following:
Love — the difference between Romeo's pretended love (affectation) forRosaline and real love.
Fortune: «a greater power than we can contradict» — how we arenot always or fully in control of our own lives
Authority — of parents · of the law; · of the Prince.
Tragedy — what does this mean? Does the play show general or universaltruths about tragic love?The causes of tragedy.
2 Stagecraft/appealto audience
Characterization — this is not description of characters but how they arepresented.
The structure of the play.
Important props (swords, the Friar's drugs, the poison, Romeo's dagger).
Contrast — light and dark · fate and free will · love and hate · deathand life · appearance and reality · public and private lives.
Oppositions of time — youth and age · past and present · fast and slow ·real time and dream time
3 Language
Important figures of speech (metaphor/simile).
Descriptive language for things we can't see — Romeo's description ofJuliet's beauty (essential in a theatre where Juliet is played by a boyMercutio's Queen Mab speech.
Forms of verse and prose for dialogue: blank verse; · occasional rhymedverse (often at the end of a scene); · sonnet forms — the Prologue, the lovers'meeting
Stichomythia (alternating one-liners) and other patterned language in thecharacters' speeches.
Puns and other verbal humour
Language showing attitudes to class — villain, My man, second-personpronoun form: you/your (polite/formal) or thou/thee/thy (derogatory orinformal).

IV. Bibliography
1. WilliamShakespeare Tragedies, Comedies, Sonnets, Chronicles in 47 volumes YaleUniversity Press, Yale New Haven 1958, pp.1, 3-5, 7-9, 23-26, 45-87
2. TheComplete Works of William Shakespeare. The Shakespeare Head Press Edition. TheWordsworth Poetry library. 1994 by Wordsworth Edition Ltd. Hertfordshire. Vols 1,3,4,6,10,11, 16-18
3. Г. Брандес«Шекспир. Жизнь и произведения» Серия «Гений в искусстве»,М.: «Алгоритм», 1997. стр. 117, 127, 139-143
4. «Вильям Шекспир.Сонеты». Перевод с английского И.М. Ивановского.— СПб.: «Тесса»,2001.
5. Комарова В.П.«Творчество Шекспира».-- СПб.: Филологический факультетСанкт-Петербургского государственного университета, 2001.
6. W. Shakespeare Romeo andJuliet New Folger library 1978
7. AlfredBates The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol.13. ed… London: Historical Publishing Company, 1996. pp. 152-157.
8. Вильям ШекспирКомедии, хроники, трагедии. Собр. соч. в 2тт., Т.1 М. ИХЛ. 1988 стр7-31 Т.2стр. 48-49, 79-126, 149, 216, 442-451
9. Д.Урнов Шекспир М.ИПЛ. Стр.23-27
10. Ю.Г. ЗеленецкийШекспир и время М. Рипол-классик 2000 стр.23
11. G. Bargons“Translation of the tragedies” Yale University Press, New Haven 1958, pp.1,3-5, 7-9, 23-26, 45-87
12. AlfredBates The Drama: Its History, Literature and Influence on Civilization, vol.13. ed… London: Historical Publishing Company, 1996. pp. 152-157.
13. Вильям ШекспирКомедии, хроники, трагедии. Собр. соч. в 2тт., Т.1 М. ИХЛ. 1988 pp. 7-31
14. Д.Урнов Шекспир М.ИПЛ. Стр.23-27
15. Adams J. Q.A Life of William Shakespeare. New York; Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1923.p.345
16. AlexanderP., Shakespeare. London: Oxford University Press, 1964 p.34
17. Barber C.L. Shakespeare's Festive Comedy. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1959p.67
18. Bentley G.E. Shakespeare, a Biographical Handbook. Theobold Lewis, ed. New Haven: YaleUniversity Press, 1961 p.78
19. Bethell S.L. Shakespeare and the Popular Tradition. London: King and Staples, 1944p.158-160
20. ParrottTh. M. Shakespearean Tragedy. New York: Oxford University Press, 1949 p.220-221
21. Clemen W.The Development of Shakespeare's Imagery. London: Methuen and Co., 1951 p.35
22. Craig H.An Interpretation of Shakespeare. New York: Dryden Press, 1948 p.300-304
23. Ellis-FermorM. Shakespeare the Dramatist. London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, 1948 p.84-86
24. Palmer J.Comic Characters of Shakespeare. London: The Macmillan Company, 1946 p.110-111
25. Internet: www.shakespeareantheatre.com
26. World BookEncyclopedia Chicago 1993 Vol. 16 p.442-443