Shakespeare's emotional tone in developing star-crossed lovers

Categories: William Shakespeare

The prologue reveals that there are no surprises in the play but maybe plot twists. The interest is not in what happens but in perhaps in how it happens, but also in the strength of emotions/feelings and violence/violent language. There a three main emotions in the play ; violence ,pity, fear. In the prologue these are show as, Violence: new mutiny, civil blood , death , marked love and parents rage. Pity is shown thought the line 'misadventured piteous overthrows' and fear is shown thought 'the fearful passage of their death marked love.

The prologue shows us that Romeo's and Juliet's fate is predetermined there love is 'death marked'

After he has introduced the feuding families to the audience Shakespeare give Romeo a precognition of his fate before he gate crashes the ball page 76 Romeo's speech 'hanging in the stars' this implies that he cannot control his fate as does 'untimely death' nevertheless he goes to the party with his friends, leaving with a short prayer 'but he that hath the steerage of my course direct my sail!' condemning himself or asking for guidance from God.

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He uses the metaphor of a boat to emphasis that his fate is out of his control

The chorus introduces the new act and emphasis the dangers which surround their love : 'that fair for which love groaned for and would die.' The final couplet uses strong language to convey the power and passion of their love.

Later that Romeo risks death to go back the Capulet house.

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This time it is Juliet which feels the danger which she express thought the imagery of lighting 'too like lightning, which doth cease to be'. Before he leaves Romeo promises an honourable marriage to Juliet which he goes to the friar to arrange for the next day.

The friar hopes that the marriage will eventually bring about reconciliation between the two houses 'for this alliance may prove to turn your households' rancour to pure love'. Nevertheless, he also fears the possibility of great danger ahead. Where as Romeo young and reckless will defy death. 'Then love-devouring death do what he dare-' but the friar uses powerful imagery to convey the danger.' These violent delight have violent ends and in their triumph die, like fire and power, which as they kiss consume' when fire and gun powder touch or 'kiss' they are destructive i.e. like Romeo and Juliet and there proposed marriage.

The two houses meet in Verona they argue and a fight ensues. Tybalt kills Mercutio and he cures the two houses with his last words 'a plague on bout your houses'

Tybalt still wants to fight Romeo, and when they next meet Romeo does not disappoint him as he is fuel by the death of his friend for Mercutio's 'soul is a little way above our heads.... Either thou or I or both, must go with him'. Romeo wins the fight and kills Tybalt. Romeo leaves with the words 'o, I am fortunes fool' as such fortune is laughing at him and there is nothing he can do about it. But when the Prince finds out that there has been fight he banishes Romeo 'and for that offence immediately we do exile him hence'.

Juliet is full of joy for her husband to joint her for the night, 'come night, come Romeo. Come, thou day in night. But the Nurse comes in and gives her the news that 'Tybalt is gone, and Romeo banished; Romeo that killed him, he is banished.' At fish the nurse do not worry bout Juliet's feelings for Romeo 'will you peck well of him that killed your cousin?' but at the end she takes pity on her and says 'I wot well where he is. Hark ye, your Romeo will be here at night'

The Friar attends to Romeo's plight 'Romeo, come forth. Come forth, thou fearful man.' Romeo has strong emotion in his next major speech there is a strong feeling of death 'carrion flies' there is also star-crossed lovers with the line 'live here in heaven and may look on her' in Romeos eyes heaven is where Juliet is and even the lowliest f thing can look at her but he cant to him this is a torture.

Near the end of the friars speech on page 124 we are shown optimism 'Where thou shalt live till we can find a time' this shows that after some time Romeo will be able to come back to the city.

Juliet begs Lady Capulet to delay her marriage to Paris. She asks her Nurse to give her some comfort but all the Nurse can offer her is that should marry Pairs. The Nurse does not understand the depth of Juliet's love of Romeo. The speech to Juliet in act 3 scene 5 is almost comical - 'Oh he's a lovely gentleman!' she says of Paris, 'Romeos a dishclout to him.' .Juliet has said that she has no faith now since she has lost Romeo, but he nurse ails to realise this. Juliet ironically tells the nurse she 'hast comforted me marvellous much' when the nurse leaves Juliet's language changes. She now calls the Nurse 'ancient domination,' a 'wicked fend' she severs her childhood ties with the nurse. In a sense she has suddenly grown up and go to the friar to ask advice. When she says 'if all else fail, my self have power to die,' she is no longer speaking metaphorically but is deadly serious

Friar Laurence realises Juliet would rather die than marry Paris and he puts forward a desperate plan to delay the wedding for 24 hours. Juliet will feign death and Romeo on receiving the Friars letter will return in time to carry her off to Mantua.

Juliet follows the plan and tells the father she is ready to marry Paris but Capulet decides to move the wedding forward 24 hours to Wednesday, meaning that Romeo will not receive the note in time. Again there is the feeling of the lovers being unable to control fate. They are star-crossed.

Juliet nearly calls back her mother and nurse but decides to proceed with her plan. She knows she must act alone. She is beset with doubts 'what if it be poison' that the friar has given her. Or what if she wakes up before Romeo comes to get her. The language changes now to conjure up vivid pictures of decay and death. The vault is a place of 'terror' for Juliet, where Tybalt lays 'festering in his shroud'. The vault is a place of 'hideous fears'. She even seems to think that Tybalts ghost is trying to find Romeo. This speech emphasizes the emotion of fear that runs throughout the play.

When Juliet's body is discovered first disbelief and then grief at her death dominate the last scene of Act 4 her father's love for Juliet now shines through. He says 'Death lies upon her like an untimely frost

Upon the sweetest flower of all the field.'

Shakespeare uses more images of nature to describe her death. The frost is a contrast to the sun of the earlier images. He uses the image of a lower again. Juliet has been deflowered by death, not by her new husband.

Both Paris and Capulet use a series of single words to express their pain. Paris cries 'beguiled, divorced, wronged, spited, slain!' and Capulet, 'Despised, distressed, hated, martyred, killed!' the staccato of there words emphasize their grief.

The Friar returns to the theme which also runs though the play the life is controlled by events that humans cannot influence. 'Your part in her you could not keep from death' But heaven keeps his part in eternal life.' Heaven has now reclaimed Juliet.

Act 5 begins with the contrast of Romeo's moods. The image of sleep and dreams is again used. He dreams Juliet awoke him from death by a kiss. Balthazar then enters and tells Romeo that Juliet is dead. Romeo immediately plans his own death, 'Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight.' He bribes the apothecary to sell him poison and hastens to Juliet.

In the churchyard Paris mourns Juliet only to be interrupted by Romeo. His grief is savage, he says to Balthazar 'my intents are savage-wild, More fierce and more inexorable far Than empty tigers or the raring sea.' He and Paris fight and Paris is killed. Romeo opens the tomb which before was 'rotten' but is now 'full of light' before Juliet's presence. Romeo cannot believe that Juliet is still so beautiful even in death. He resolves to stay with her forever and cries '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!'

Juliet awakes too late to save Romeo and so yet again these lovers are 'star-crossed': she kisses Romeo for the final time and dies.

With their death the feud of the Capulet's and Montague's ends. The Prince invokes the last image of the sun which has played a part throughout the play. 'the sun for sorrow will not show his head.'

Throughout the play Shakespeare uses images of nature and of heaven to convey the strong emotions of Romeo and Juliet. The hope and happiness at the beginning of the play is replaced by strong feelings of despair and images of death as the lovers are star-crossed. There is a strong feeling portrayed throughout the play that whatever Romeo and Juliet tried to do to save their love it was hopeless. It summed up by the Prince in the last two lines of the play 'for never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.

Updated: May 03, 2023
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Shakespeare's emotional tone in developing star-crossed lovers. (2020, Jun 01). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/close-reference-key-speechs-show-shakespeare-conveys-strong-emotions-develops-tone-star-crossed-lovers-new-essay

Shakespeare's emotional tone in developing star-crossed lovers essay
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