MB UNIUD

Introduction

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two teenagers, whose untimely deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with Hamlet, is one of his most frequently performed plays.

Summary

The play begins with a street brawl between Montagues and Capulets, the two prominent families of Verona. When Capulets give a ball, Romeo(the son of Montague), that wasn't invited, meet Juliet (the daughter of Capulets) and he falls in love to her. After the ball,Romeo sneaks into the Capulet courtyard and overhears Juliet on her balcony vowing her love to him in spite of her family's hatred of the Montagues. Romeo makes himself known to her and they agree to be married.With the help of Friar Laurence, who hopes to reconcile the two families through their children's union, they are married secretly the next day. Juliet's cousin Tybalt, offended that Romeo had snuck into the Capulet ball, challenges him to a duel but Romeo refuses to fight. Mercutio, Romeo's best friend is incensed by Tybalt's insolence and accepts the duel on Romeo's behalf. Mercutio is fatally wounded and Romeo, angered by his friend's death, pursues and slays Tybalt. The Prince exiles Romeo from Verona for the killing.Romeo secretly spends the night in Juliet's chamber, where they consummate their marriage.Juliet visits Friar Laurence for help, and he offers her a drug which will put her into a death-like coma for "two and forty hours". The Friar promises to send a messenger to inform Romeo of the plan, so that he can rejoin her when she awakens. On the night before the wedding, she takes the drug and, when discovered apparently dead, she is laid in the family crypt.The messenger, however, does not reach Romeo and, instead, he learns of Juliet's apparent death from his servant Balthasar. He encounters Paris who has come to mourn Juliet privately in Juliet's family crypt. Here Romeo kills Paris. Still believing Juliet to be dead, he drinks the poison. Juliet then awakens and, finding Romeo dead, stabs herself with his dagger. The feuding families and the Prince meet at the tomb to find all three dead. Friar Laurence recounts the entire story of their child. The families are reconciled by their children's deaths and agree to end their violent feud.

Themes

Love, time, fate and chance, light and dark.

Criticism

Critics have noted many weak points in Romeo and Juliet, but it is still regarded as one of Shakespeare's best plays. Samuel Pepys wrote in 1662:" it is a play of itself the worst that I ever heard in my life"; this is one of the first critic of the play. In the later part of the 18th, criticism centred on debates over the moral message of the play.

Dramatic Structure

Shakespeare employs several dramatic techniques that have garnered praise from critics; most notably the abrupt shifts from comedy to tragedy. Shakespeare also uses sub-plots to offer a clearer view of the actions of the main characters. For example, when the play begins, Romeo is in love with Rosaline, who has refused all of his advances. Romeo's infatuation with her stands in obvious contrast to his later love for Juliet. This provides a comparison through which the audience can see the seriousness of Romeo and Juliet's love and marriage. Paris' love for Juliet also sets up a contrast between Juliet's feelings for him and her feelings for Romeo. The formal language she uses around Paris, as well as the way she talks about him to her Nurse, show that her feelings clearly lie with Romeo. Beyond this, the sub-plot of the Montague-Capulet feud overarches the whole play, providing an atmosphere of hate that is the main contributor to the play's tragic end.