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“Much of literature explores the diversity of ruling passions that influence people’s lives and relationships. What ideas does the author develop regarding ruling passion?”
“The ruling passion, be it what it will, The ruling passion conquers reason still.”--- Alexander Pope. Ruling passion is undoubtedly, the most accountable influence for the choices one makes. It can play a vital role in determining one's destiny as it can be the motivating factor towards rash decisions. This can lead to obsession, as it can act as a driving force towards a motivating factor.
Inevitably, ruling passion is the reason for “being” as it is targeted towards a goal that according to one can lead to success. Different societies can have different interpretations of the significance of ruling passion. The Elizabethan society believed a lot in astronomy and the stars. They believed that a higher power had planned out their life and their ruling passion won't affect it as they can not change what was written in the stars.
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On the other hand, in today's society, people interpret life as a rollercoaster as it can take you anywhere and you can choose your own road to travel with many turns throughout the way. In William Shakespeare's play, “Romeo and Juliet” the role ruling passion plays in determining an individual's destiny is best seen through the character Romeo. That is, as when someone experiences love they often respond by ruling their passion for what they desire which usually results in a negative outcome hence, determining the influence on people’s lives and relationships.
Ruling passion mirrors the belief that a power greater than man guides and controls the lives of men.
The same idea is infused in “Romeo and Juliet” where the significance of ruling passion is a controlling factor in deciding both of the lover's fate but it is too late when both characters realize this. This is evident when Romeo kills Tybalt in revenge of Mercutio. Furthermore, when Mercutio dies, Romeo himself foreshadows the outcome, once again feeling powerless against this ruling passion: 'This day's black fate on more days doth depend/This but begins the woe, others must end.' This quote was said just after Tybalt had challenged Romeo to a duel but he didn't accept it as he was Juliet's cousin. Thus, Mercutio had to fight for his ‘masculinity’ resulting in his death. This quote suggests that Romeo is not in control of his actions and he recognizes that there might be no acceptable outcome. His words foreshadow the events that will follow in the play. Even though Romeo tried to avoid a fight he is interpreting that his ruling passion will ultimately control the day's events and everything that ensues (when he kills Tybalt). He is feeling powerless as Mercutio's death has sparked more distress. Therefore, Shakespeare foreshadows destined murder. After Romeo kills Tybalt, he realizes he is the victim of his fortune as he no longer has any control over his obsession.
Due to his ruling passion Tybalt was no longer alive, which resulted in his banishment, thus, affecting his relationship with Juliet This illustrates how Romeo's love for Juliet has caused some thoughtless decisions (marriage to murder) which then caused for Mercutio's death. This is because Romeo persuades Juliet and is driven by love, to propose for marriage immediately, which once again represents fate. Due to this Romeo couldn't fight Tybalt (as he was her wife’s cousin) resulting in Mercutio's death and a dark beginning to Romeo and Juliet's love. Adding on, is realizing his love will ultimately control his decisions as the choices he made for earning Juliet's love will have negative consequences that are yet to come. He is once again realizing the importance of ruling passion and the influence it will have on his relationship with Juliet. He is attempting to foreshadow what his love for Juliet will cause. Hence, highlighting the significance of Ruling Passion as a controlling factor in choosing Romeo's destiny.
Ruling passion is nothing more than the law of cause and effect. The decisions you make today become your future tomorrow. At the start of the play, Romeo already has a negative feeling about his future while attending the party. This is evident when Romeo says “my mind misgives some consequence yet hanging in the stars.” Furthermore, this is supported by the author himself as he foreshadows the role ruling passion plays in Romeo and Juliet's love. “A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”. In the first quote, Romeo wonders if he should be attending the party. The initial incident for Romeo and Juliet's love which progresses them to their death is when the Capulet servant who was responsible for handing out invitations didn't know how to read. He then ran into Romeo who was with Benvolio on the streets. When they read the list for him and they decided to go to the party in search of a “replacement” for Rosaline. Thus, when he was on the way for the party he was sensing that fate is planning his doom as he has a sense of fateful foreboding. This statement is ironic as Romeo will fall in love with Juliet, which will ultimately be responsible for his own death, due to his ruling passion. If the servant had asked any other person on the streets for help, Romeo would've never met Juliet. Hence, this initial incident leads to Romeo being ruled by his passion, hence, affecting Romeos and Juliets relationship.
Moreover, Shakespeare uses double entendre to indicate that both ruling passion and Romeo's love towards Juliet will determine what is to come. This leads to the second quote where Shakespeare himself foreshadows the driving force in Romeo's life as an influencing factor. The stars refer, to Romeo and Juliet and how their fate was not aligned with what they desired. In the Elizabethan Era, people would have understood that the path of the heavenly bodies at this time foreshadow a certain set of circumstances for Romeo and Juliet. And most importantly, there was no getting out of it. Hence, Shakespeare forebodes the consequence Romeo’s ruling will lead to. Consequently, Romeo's decision to go to the party was the initial incident that led to the rising action. Therefore, it plays a significant role in Romeo's ruling passion as supported by William Shakespeare to indicate that obsession and Romeo's love towards Juliet will determine their subsequent lives.
People usually use words that are spelled exactly the same, despite, those words can have numerous meanings. This is why miscommunication transpires from communication resulting on ruling passion. Miscommunication is an influencing factor in Romeo and Juliet's love as a driving force (ruling passion). This is evident when Romeo hears of Juliet's death, Romeo swears he will defy destiny by planning his own death which represents his rash decision and ruling passion. As he says: ' With worms that are thy chambermaids; O, here/Will I set up my everlasting rest,/ And shake the yoke of inauspicious stars/From this world-wearied flesh'. Just after this, Romeo encounters Paris at Juliet's tomb. Hence, he ends up killing him once again due to his ruling passion even though he had no specific reason. “Wilt thou provoke me? Then have at thee, boy!” The rising action that caused Romeo to take this decision was when the letter was not able to reach Mantua. Thus, he was miscommunicated false information about and her death. Therefore, without asking for help from the Friar, he went to the tomb where Juliet ‘appeared’ to be dead, and then he killed himself due to his ruling obsession/ greif. During this moment when he was mentally disturbed due to Juliet's death, he killed Paris. This was as he saw Paris as the only obstacle in the way of his goal hence, omitting him along the way. Hence, Romeo's brave defiance of fate due to ruling passion in this quote is especially despairing as Romeo's suicide is the event that actually leads to Juliet's death. Furthermore, in the second quote, Romeo promises Juliet he will stay with her. The worms that are the ‘chambermaids’ of his body when he dies are a dirty thought for him but he is setting up a contrast between the disgust of the worms, but he is contented that he will be in Juliet’s arms, embracing her, setting up his everlasting rest. Thus, ruling passion has set all events, in order to unite the Montagues and the Capulets.
Ruling passion is an inevitable force driven by love, but there nonetheless. Each character in the story is aware of ruling passion, but, Romeo has a special relationship with the obsession of love. Romeo realizes the importance of this when Mercutio dies but ends up killing Tybalt. The initial incident that lead to this was the at the party when Romeo first met Juliet. This results in the death of Paris, Romeo and Juliet only because of rash decisions. That is as it was not a coincidence that a serving man comes across Romeo and Benvolio in the first act, oblivious that they are Montague’s, and notifies them about the Capulet party. Thus, ruling passion being the most influential force at work determines their future through their love. Hence, the stars are against Romeo and Juliet, and the result of their love is coordinated the idea of obsesion.
Consequently, it is evident that fate is causing the tragic end of their love and their families’ new beginning. That is, as when an individual experiences they often respond ruling their passion which often results in a negative outcome hence, influencing their life and relationships.
The Tragic End Of Romeo and Juliet's Love. (2024, Feb 14). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-tragic-end-of-romeo-and-juliets-love-essay
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