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"Romeo and Juliet" is a tragic play, which is set in the city of Verona and it's about two lovers who can't be together because their families are enemies. The play is mainly about love; however there are many scenes in which violence is represented. The play starts with a fight between members of the two families, and ends up with the death of a member of the Montague family, finally both families are punished by the ruler of Verona, the Prince.
The violence in the play occurs because of an ancient grudge between two families, which leads to the tragic deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare ingeniously created this play for Elizabeth the 1st, Queen of England, because she adored the theatre.
The Citizens of England in the 16th century would jump at the thought of entertainment, whether this be cockerel fighting to a good old' romantic play. Although pleasing them was a different matter. This meant that Shakespeare had to be on top form when writing all of his plays.
Therefore, a 16th century audience would love one of Shakespeare's plays because they include all the things for the recipe of perfection.
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Proficient in: Conflict
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“ She followed all my directions. It was really easy to contact her and respond very fast as well. ”
If they wanted love, drama, passion and action, they certainly got it with Shakespeare.
One of the reasons we know that violence and conflict are central to Romeo and Juliet is because at the beginning of the play in act 1, scene 1 the atmosphere is full of aggressiveness, it all begins in a public market in Verona. The servants of the Capulet and Montague households' started picking on each other and start a quarrel; one of them said: "I will bite my thumb at them which is a disgrace to them if they bear it".
This shows that even the lowest cast of the families is acclimatised to violence; it also expresses how Sampson wants to provoke the Montagues
The servants use bawdy language "Draw thy tool", they are speaking in prose which manifests their unfavourable thoughts, and makes the audience see that as the characters are surrounded by a belligerent attitude a combat will take place.
By being introduced to the servants the public gets an image of the conflict within families.
Later in the scene, Benvolio arrives and says "Part, fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do", with the first phrase spoken by Benvolio, Shakespeare gives the audience an impression of Benvolio being a peacemaker. He is Romeo's best friend and always wants to avoid conflicts with the Capulets. All at once Tybalt (Juliet's cousin and member of the Capulets) enters the scene and declares "talk of peace? I hate the word. As I hate hell, all Montagues and thee" The ferociousness of his speaking reflects his barbaric personality, as he compares peace to hell, this makes us see that hatred is one of the key themes all along the play.
Then, the prince `Escalus� enters the scene, he's supposed to restore order because of his neutrality. This is a typical case in the play when the scenes have numerous ferocious climaxes which are interrupted by pauses of calmness. On the other hand in his speeches, anger and threats predominate; Escalus gives visual views of death and torture, promoting more violence as a tactic for maintaining peace, this is shown when he says: "If you ever disturb our streets again, your lives will pay..." By using strong adjectives, he displays a self image which makes him seem very sadistic. "You beasts that quench the fire of your pernicious rage with purple fountains issuing from your veins", here he proclaims a very sanguine phrase, which shows that violence outweighs the play.
Previously in the scene, Romeo's views towards love and affection show the complexity of emotion within the characters of the play, this is shown when he uses oxymoron, "Oh brawling love, Oh loving hate" this shows how Romeo's views are centred in a confrontation which only allows him to see negative aspects about affections which leads his thoughts to the image of death, we expect Romeo to associate love vs. conflict right from the beginning of the play. In this part of the scene it can be see how even Romeo is
Beginning to centre violence to his own life, as he can't think about his love towards Juliet without hatred saddening his daydreams
Later in act 3 scene1, the play evolves and other characters are introduced. Mercutio (Romeo's best friend) is an important character because he represents roughness, this is even shown in his name; Mercutio in linked to war and brutality because it's similar to the name of the god of war Mercury. Another personage is introduced, Benvolio, he's another member of the Montagues; he is Lord Montague's nephew and Romeo's cousin. He and Romeo are both close friends with Mercutio. Benvolio seems to have little sympathy with the feud, attempting to prevent the initial brawl. His name also interweaves with his character: Benvolio's name can be directly related to the noun Benevolence; this might help the audience to interpret his personality. Also Tybalt is received in this act, he's Juliet's cousin, and member of the Capulet family.
This is a typical act in which antithesis is abundant; rich against poor, Montagues against Capulets, Love against Hate. The scene follows a tranquile and romantic scene in which Romeo and Juliet have just married secretly. This is a characteristic of the play, Shakespeare does this to make it versatile and keep the audience entertained.
The scene commences with Shakespeare telling us it is a hot day, this suggests everyone is in an ardent mood, tired and bothered, and also suggests using pathetic fallacy that violence is imminent. Benvolio recommends to Mercutio that they should have a rest in an area sheltered from the sun, he also points out that members of the Capulet household are out in the streets, "And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl" he attempts to abstain a combat against the Capulets. Mercutio however would rather stay outside because he is ready for a fight and hopes to have one.
The Capulets enter led by Tybalt, who inquires about Romeo. Tybalt had challenged Romeo to a duel to get revenge for his uninvited appearance at the Capulet ball. Tybalt enters the scene determined to fight Romeo for being at the Capulet masquerade, and isn't keen on fighting Mercutio, however being the man Mercutio is, he gets back in on things by being extremely insolent to Tybalt, and shouts, "Oh, calm, dishonourable, vile submission! Alla stoccata carries it away. Tybalt, you rat catcher, will you walk?" At that moment Mercutio draws his sword, speaks in prose and not in blank verse (as all the noblemen in Verona spoke). It is deliberately written in prose to manifest that Mercutio isn't talking about anything favourable. Mercutio then exclaims "Good King of Cats, nothing but one of your nine lives; that I mean to make bold withal" he says that Tybalt has nine lives, but he only wants one of them to bruise. After all of this Tybalt exclaims
"I am the man for you!" This shows that Tybalt likes brawling and isn't afraid of death. After these threatening quotes, both of them begin to fight.
During this scene the audience experiences dramatic irony, this occurs when Romeo appears and tries to maintain peace between Mercutio and Tybalt, "Draw, Benvolio; beat down their weapons. Gentlemen, for shame, forbear this outrage!" Romeo intends to maintain peace; this is shown because he uses blank verse "The reason I have to love thee Doth much excuse the appertaining rage". Tybalt insults him, hoping he will respond to the challenge, but Romeo refuses because he is now related to Tybalt through his marriage to Juliet. Here it shows that violence and conflict are centred in the play because even the love represented by Romeo and Juliet can't halt the hatred between the two families.
Mercutio disgusted by Romeo's reluctance to fight, answers Tybalt's insults on Romeo's behalf. Tybalt and Mercutio draw their swords and fight. This is the starting point to the action of the scene which makes the audience not need to focus on the language. To stop the battle, Romeo steps between them and Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm. Now Mercutio is down and everyone asks if he is okay and his reply was, "'tis not so deep as a well nor so wide as a church door, but 'tis enough, 'twill serve. Ask for me tomorrow and you shall find me a grave man." By him saying this he changes the tone from tragedy to humour and then to pathos, it is a very emotionally complex extract of the play because Romeo or Tybalt were the ones who were supposed to fight, this creates an ambience in which pathos predominates.
Mercutio picks a fight with the best swordsmen in Verona, and talks himself up, but yet he gets beaten, this shows his arrogance. His wound is fatal and he dies crying "A plague o' both your houses!" what he says in his deathbed is a premonition insinuating that the conflict between the families is going to increase, this also implies the lover's death is nearby.
Mercutio's death changes Romeo's condition, because even all the love in which he was surrounded in the previous scene can't avoid his fate of having a tragic ending, "These days black fate" this displays how Romeo feels that his destiny is to die at the hands of his family's enemy and helps the audience to realise that death can be the couple's only fate.
Blinded by rage over Mercutio's death, Romeo attacks Tybalt and says "Either thou, or I, or both, must go with him" here Romeo warns Tybalt about the need of one of them to die. The rivalry ends up with Tybalt's death, which manifests how once again the aggressiveness has overcome affection. Tybalt's death brings Romeo a moment of clarity as he realizes that he is the helpless victim of fate: "O, I am fortune's fool!" he cries, struck deeply by a sense of anger, injustice, and futility. The speed with which Mercutio and Tybalt's deaths occur, together with Romeo's marriage and subsequent banishment, all contribute to a sense of inevitability that a chain of events has been set in motion over which the protagonists have no control. From this point the play initiates a general fluent and speedy beat that leads to the final event.
After two deaths, there are some consequences which involve Romeo. He feels forced to disappear because the Prince, the heads of the two households and their wives appear in the scene. Benvolio gives an account of what has happened, and the Prince banishes Romeo from Verona and sends him into exile.
Violence produces more violence, therefore the audience expects more as they enjoy the journey to death rather than the lovers story, and people throughout the story know that Romeo's and Juliet's future isn't a favourable one, which surprises the audience as it realises the story's main theme isn't love, It's hatred and violence which isn't what they expected.
Act 3 scene 5 appears to be a quiet and calm scene; it begins at dawn on Tuesday morning. Romeo and Juliet make their final exchanges of love and say goodbye to each other before Romeo leaves to Mantua. They are talking about the lark and the nightingale, referring to the fact of if Romeo should leave or not. As the sun's rays "lace the severing clouds," Juliet wishes the sound of the morning lark were actually the call of the nightingale. Juliet tries to deny the arrival of the coming day to prolong her time with Romeo. Their language is passionate and intense as Romeo agrees to stay and face his death.
As in previous scenes, Romeo and Juliet's love flourishes in the dark, but daylight brings separation and ill fortune: Juliet says, "Window, let day in, and let life out." All of a sudden Juliet realises that it is day, and if Romeo doesn't leave he will have an inevitable death. By Romeo saying "More light and light; more dark and dark our woes" he intends to say that as there is more light, their sadness increases. It also shows that they can only meet in the darkness which displays how Romeo's and Juliet's relationship is always surrounded by dullness as well as their lives are full of adversity; their families and their destiny. The ominous threat of the Prince's sentence of death in the previous scene forces the two lovers to part. Romeo's sentence was a cliff hanger to make the audience want to see more and watch what's going to happen to the protagonists. The audience already knows that violence is centred to the play, as a consequence of the cliff hanger; they expect a very dramatic and brutal ending to this tragic story.
As Romeo descends the balcony, Juliet experiences a premonition of Romeo "as one dead in the bottom of a tomb". This prophetic vision becomes true in the final part of the scene when Juliet awakens from her drug-induced slumber to find Romeo dead on the floor of the Capulet tomb. Once again, images of love and death intertwine, infecting the joy of their wedding night with the foreshadowing of their coming deaths.
The mood changes with the nurse's entrance announcing Lady Capulet's arrival. Juliet's mother enters the chamber and finds Juliet weeping; however she's unaware of the reason of her weeps because she thinks it's because of Tybalt's death, here again the audience experiences pathetic fallacy because they know the real motive of Juliet's cries. Lady Capulet in her confusion tries to comfort Juliet with her plan to have Romeo poisoned and believing that Juliet weeps for Tybalt rather than the departure of Romeo, tries to comfort Juliet with her plan to have Romeo poisoned. Lady Capulet then tells Juliet the happy news that she is going to marry Paris on Thursday. Juliet is stunned and tells her mother that she cannot be married in such haste. . "I will not marry yet; and, when I do, I swear, it shall be Romeo, who you know I hate" once again the audience experiences dramatic irony because we all know Juliet is already married to Romeo and can't marry again. Here it is clearly shown how violence is centred to the play, because it shows how Lady Capulet is blinded by rage a ferociousness which impediments her from realising what's wrong with her daughter.
Juliet's mother act of intending to poison Romeo is also full of dramatic irony since it anticipates the method Romeo chooses to take his own life in the final act of the play. Although Romeo drinks the poison by his own hand, it is the hatred, driven in part by Lady Capulet which makes him do it. We can repeatedly see how violence is central to the play because Lady Capulet has more present the idea of taking vengeance for Tybalt's death, that the actual departure of a member of her family.
Far from a loving, maternal figure, Lady Capulet is cold and vengeful, this shows how brutality is centred to the play because even the image of maternity, which is supposed to be pure and full of tenderness is full of hostility
Lady Capulet is prepared to continue the feud without regard to the authority of the Prince. Lady Capulet is brutally calculating her reprisals to Juliet's refusal to marry Paris; this leads her to say that she wishes "the fool were married to her grave." Once again the image of Juliet's grave as her wedding bed anticipates the lovers' tragic reunion in death. It is as if Lady Capulet, by her single-minded focus on the family rivalry, condemns her own daughter to her death.
In act of desperation Lady Capulet calls her husband to cease with Juliet's wilfulness. Lord Capulet together with his wife can't understand Juliet's posture and his parental concern evaporates into authoritarian, patriarchal anger as Capulet shouts insults, calling Juliet "baggage" and "carrion" for refusing his order. Capulet now uses Juliet's youth to mock her reluctance to marry, calling her a crying child and whining puppet. In his fury, Capulet threatens Juliet with violence and disinheritance if she continues to disobey him, "hang! Beg! Starve! Die in the streets! / For by my soul I'll ne'er acknowledge thee."
While Juliet's parents react with extreme bitterness, Juliet handles herself with striking maturity. No longer the dutiful teenage daughter of the Capulets, she is a young woman, a bride, a wife. Her answers are skilfully truthful yet pragmatically deceptive. In response to her mother's desire to have Romeo killed, Juliet remarks that she "never shall be satisfied / With Romeo, till I behold him - dead." Juliet's mother interprets this as anger over Romeo killing Tybalt. However, a man's death also means his sexual climax. Since Juliet has just ventured into her first physical love, she desires it again, both as a desire for pleasure as well as a mature relation with Romeo. Once again violence is centred to this part of the scene because Juliet turns to the use of brutal images to calm down her parents; she talks about the enemy's death, which is the only thing that tames them.
After this bitter argument, Juliet demands the nurse for advice on how she should proceed. The nurse gives Juliet an unpleasant recommendation which shows she fails Juliet at this critical moment "I think you are happy in this second match, for it excels your fist one" because she sees Juliet's marriage to Paris in entirely practical and economic terms. It's obvious Juliet doesn't appreciate the nurse's advice; however it makes Juliet ponder on her following steps. She turns to the Friar as a source of aid and counsel. Juliet's agony is so outrageous that it makes her determine to die rather than enter into a marriage with Paris, and ends up the scene by saying: "If all else fail, myself have power to die."
The play ends up with an inevitable death of the two lovers forced to occur because of all the hatred and violence in which they have been brought up, this manifests how violence is central to the play, however Shakespeare does this intentionally, because it was what the audience demanded at that time.
"Romeo and Juliet"; How are violence and conflict central to the play?. (2020, Jun 02). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/romeo-juliet-violence-conflict-central-play-new-essay
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