Romeo and Juliet Literary Drama

            

 

1. Yes, ‘time’ can be considered as a theme in Romeo and Juliet. The theme of time is evident early on in the play as Romeo drags his emotions all over his disposition as he talks with Benvolio, lamenting over his love for Rosaline: “sad hours seem long”.  This gives us a hint into the acknowledgement of Romeo that time is quite present and he is more aware of it considering, love and time are inseparable due to the nature of ‘young love’ or ‘old love’, that either would speak as if time ‘ceases to exist, that time ‘has been kind’ to us, or that time seems to ‘never end’ because they are separated as is the case with Romeo and Rosaline. Mercutio is one of the first to complain about time and hereafter time seems to speed up rapidly. Capulet is also aware of time as Paris asks for Juliet’s hand in marriage, with Capulet responding that she is too young and needs another two years. Juliet is also aware that her love for Romeo has not been tested by time as she confesses to Romeo that her love is “too rash, too unadvised, too sudden…too like the lightening”. Soon time begins to play a pivotal role in the destruction of the lovers. Capulet hastens time by rushing the marriage date of Paris to Juliet, one day ahead. This forces Juliet into action which is fatal and like a fowl into a fowler’s snare leads to her untimely death. Dragging along Romeo who is ‘too in love’ to live without his Juliet. It can be said that Shakespeare’s manipulation of time is a menacing force against the lovers and could possibly be immature and artificial.

 

2.      I agree that the final scene where both Romeo and Juliet die is the climax and most triumphant part of the play. This is the tragedy that is spoken about in Chorus’s opening sonnet and now finally, revealed, quenches the thirst and satisfies the hunger that has been building throughout the play. There is a dramatic irony involved in this last scene, that the testimony of three different people is needed to unravel the death of Romeo and Juliet as well as Paris. This is the climax where both Romeo and Juliet die. The triumphant part in addition to the climax is added by the truce entered into by the Montague’s and Capulet’s upon witnessing their son and daughter lay dead in front of them, ending a long history of feuding that cost both families their children and Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris in process.

 

3.      Escalus is the authority figure and early on we see how he proclaims judgment as the two feuding families (Montague’s and Capulet’s) disturb the peace. He says: “If ever you disturb our streets again, your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace”. This sets the stage when Romeo ends the life of Tybalt and is exiled after Mercutio is killed at the hands of Tybalt. We see that this forces time into a speedy spiral and Capulet decided that Juliet should marry Paris. In an awry plan with Friar Lawrence, Juliet who intends to evade marriage to Paris, ends up drinking a concoction that would slow down her heart, however, to Romeo who doesn’t get Friar John’s Letter, he only hears about her death and not the plan. Therefore, what Escalus proclaimed and intending to bring peace, inevitably brought death to many. Escalus is possibly a victim of circumstance and is a figure that unknowingly seems to nudge the two star crossed lovers closer to their deaths every time he decrees words meant to bring order.

 

4.      Yes, this is true, including Friar Lawrence who questioned Romeo’s love to Juliet when moments ago, perhaps days earlier he was despairing over his love to Rosaline. He says “So soon forsaken? Young men's love then lies, not truly in their hearts, but in their eyes”. The way Romeo lamented over Rosaline in the elementary chronicles leading up to the moment he laid eyes on Juliet, would suggest that Rosaline was the only woman capable of his affection or lust and nothing else moved him like she did. However, soon after meeting Juliet and kissing her, as if cured and struck again by Cupid’s arrow he falls for Juliet and we learn how she is much more and yes, much more than Rosaline could ever suffice to be in Romeo’s eyes. However, his love for Juliet though it includes lust- based on the textual sexual references upon their meeting- is passionate and ‘young’, thus filled with desire. Notice is given in contrast that his pining over Rosaline didn’t bring as much action as did his love for Juliet. He was Melancholy for Rosaline, but for willing to die for Juliet. Therefore, Friar Lawrence earlier remark holds water but he wades this water by the action we see him take in the end, showed maturity and an understanding of true love, where one cannot stand to live without the other.

 

5.      Friar Lawrence role in the play is highlighted as a holy man and one who is given in to providing neutral help to both Romeo and Juliet. He is also one of the truth when he critics Romeo for falling too quickly in love and questions how ‘moments’ not too long ago Rosaline was his love and now all of a sudden, too ‘sudden’ he is in love with Juliet. Friar Lawrence uses the formal language of rhyme and proverbs to stress the need for caution to Romeo. His role is highlighted by how Romeo and Juliet can come to him and not their parents. He is also seen as one of peace and this is evident when he says to Romeo that their love might bring the feuding between their families to an end, when he marries Romeo and Juliet. However, his clandestine effort to wed them was a naïve assessment of the feud. The contrast of young and old also comes into play in his character flaw when Friar Lawrence advices Romeo about his banishment with rational argument and Romeo responds by telling Friar Lawrence, if he were young he would be inclined to the same reaction as Romeo. Though a devout man of God, he is however human, and his knowledge of plants advocates the advice he gives to Juliet about her death and being revived afterwards causing more fatal harm rather than good.

 

6.      The symbols of gold and silver are used to critic the idiocy of humans. Shakespeare uses silver as an image of pure love and an image of innocent beauty. In contrast, he uses gold as a sign of greediness or wandering desire. For example, Rosaline is described by Shakespeare as immune to showers of gold, an image that symbolizes the selfishness of bribery. A while after, Romeo is banished, he remarks that banishment is a "golden axe," meaning that banishment is merely a shiny weasel word for death. At the end of the play, in memory of Romeo and Juliet, two golden statues are erected and this is a sign of the fact that neither Lord Capulet nor Lord Montague has truly learned anything from the death of their children. The statues show how they are still competing for glory in their grieving. On the other hand, Romeo, distinguishes the power of gold and through him, Shakespeare suggests a difference between a world ruled by riches and the embodiment of pure love and in totality, Romeo discards it.

 

7.      When Paris talks to Juliet he is quite arrogant and she responds with restraint knowing very well what has happened. Paris’ speech tries to dictate her and shows how much she cares for her and possibly truly loves Juliet, more so, he is doing it the right way and not covertly. However, Juliet speaks to him neither good nor bad and maintains neutrality in her speech almost certainly not to give away the secret of her wedding to Romeo. This is heightened, especially in the presence of Friar Lawrence, who might be put to shame along with her lover Romeo if she were to allow her emotions to answer Paris’ words. Paris’ thoughts are not revealed to the audience therefore, his emotions are subject to obscurity. Juliet loves Romeo and Paris causes a real threat to her marriage. Thus she is perhaps more in the know on how to direct her speech whether this way or that way and keep him in the dark as the audience is aware of why she needs to see Friar Lawrence.