Romeo And Juliet
Inroduction
Shakespeare explores revenge and its destructive consiquences in the play Romeo and Juliet. Firstly by setting the play in an ongoing feud between two families. He then shows the destructiveness of revenge through the deaths of two important characters, Mercrutio and Tybalt. Finally he delivers a moral lesson, that no good comes from revenge, shown by the deaths of two young lovers Romeo and Juliet.
From the very start of the play Shakespeare sets a mood of violence, anger, and revenge. He does this by setting the play in the middle of a serious family feud. The very first scene is a violent street brawl between the Montagues and the Capulets. Both sides are heavily involved and their confrontation reeks havok on the city and its citizens. Shakespeare highlights the senselessness of the violence by telling us that neither side knows how or why the feud started in the prologue. The prlogue also tells us that any love between Romeo and Juliet is doomed. Shakespeare is trying to show us the reality of violence and its stupidity. Romeo and Juliet is as much about violence and revenge as it is about love.
The second way that Shakespeare explores an aspect of human experience, in this case revenge, is through the deaths of Mercrutio and Tybalt. At the start of the conflict Romeo tries to be a peace maker and stop the violence because he is now married to Juliet. However this does not last long because Mercrutio is killed. Shakespeare is trying to show us that if we get caught up in violence and vengance we cannot escape it, even if we want to. This is rienforced by Mercrurio's dying words:
"A plauge on a' both houses".
What he is saying here is that by the senseless violence, and constant hostility he has died. Mercrutio's death is a turning point in Romeos attitude and actions towards Tybalt. From then on he wants Tybalt dead:
"Firey eyed fury be my conduct now"
Wn he finally does avenge Mercrutio's death he is banished from Verona. This takes away any small chance that Romeo and Juliet had at a normal marrage. Not only that but Juliet now has to face the fact that the man she loves has killed her own flesh and blood. The ultimate message that Shakespeare is trying to send is that revenge has horrible consiqueces and that love does not always conquer all.
The play "Romeo and Juliet" ends with the deaths of the two protagonists, who are our only true hope of a happy ending. Their deaths are a result of the constant violence, and the bitter feud that has been going on since before they were born. Shakespeare is trying to shw that people with the best intentions, in this case Romeo and Juliet who wish to marry and end the old age feud, do not always succeed because they get caught up in violence and vengance, to the point of no escape. Shakespeare is showing us that innocent people with the best intentions can get hurt by revenge, even if they are not directly involved, and that constnt violence and revenge ends in death, even to the most loving people.
In conclusion Shakespeare explores revenge and its destructive consiquences by setting the play in the middle of a family feud. From the beginning of the play it seems that Romeo and Juliet's love is doomed. As the play progresses this idea is rienforced as we see the tradgic deaths of Tybalt and Mercrutio. Finally Shakespeare rienforces the idea that no good comes from revenge, and that even good people can get caught up in violence through the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
Shakespeare explores revenge and its destructive consiquences in the play Romeo and Juliet. Firstly by setting the play in an ongoing feud between two families. He then shows the destructiveness of revenge through the deaths of two important characters, Mercrutio and Tybalt. Finally he delivers a moral lesson, that no good comes from revenge, shown by the deaths of two young lovers Romeo and Juliet.
From the very start of the play Shakespeare sets a mood of violence, anger, and revenge. He does this by setting the play in the middle of a serious family feud. The very first scene is a violent street brawl between the Montagues and the Capulets. Both sides are heavily involved and their confrontation reeks havok on the city and its citizens. Shakespeare highlights the senselessness of the violence by telling us that neither side knows how or why the feud started in the prologue. The prlogue also tells us that any love between Romeo and Juliet is doomed. Shakespeare is trying to show us the reality of violence and its stupidity. Romeo and Juliet is as much about violence and revenge as it is about love.
The second way that Shakespeare explores an aspect of human experience, in this case revenge, is through the deaths of Mercrutio and Tybalt. At the start of the conflict Romeo tries to be a peace maker and stop the violence because he is now married to Juliet. However this does not last long because Mercrutio is killed. Shakespeare is trying to show us that if we get caught up in violence and vengance we cannot escape it, even if we want to. This is rienforced by Mercrurio's dying words:
"A plauge on a' both houses".
What he is saying here is that by the senseless violence, and constant hostility he has died. Mercrutio's death is a turning point in Romeos attitude and actions towards Tybalt. From then on he wants Tybalt dead:
"Firey eyed fury be my conduct now"
Wn he finally does avenge Mercrutio's death he is banished from Verona. This takes away any small chance that Romeo and Juliet had at a normal marrage. Not only that but Juliet now has to face the fact that the man she loves has killed her own flesh and blood. The ultimate message that Shakespeare is trying to send is that revenge has horrible consiqueces and that love does not always conquer all.
The play "Romeo and Juliet" ends with the deaths of the two protagonists, who are our only true hope of a happy ending. Their deaths are a result of the constant violence, and the bitter feud that has been going on since before they were born. Shakespeare is trying to shw that people with the best intentions, in this case Romeo and Juliet who wish to marry and end the old age feud, do not always succeed because they get caught up in violence and vengance, to the point of no escape. Shakespeare is showing us that innocent people with the best intentions can get hurt by revenge, even if they are not directly involved, and that constnt violence and revenge ends in death, even to the most loving people.
In conclusion Shakespeare explores revenge and its destructive consiquences by setting the play in the middle of a family feud. From the beginning of the play it seems that Romeo and Juliet's love is doomed. As the play progresses this idea is rienforced as we see the tradgic deaths of Tybalt and Mercrutio. Finally Shakespeare rienforces the idea that no good comes from revenge, and that even good people can get caught up in violence through the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
