Preview

In What Ways Does Shakespeare Create Sympathy for Romeo and Juliet and Their Relationship?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1010 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
In What Ways Does Shakespeare Create Sympathy for Romeo and Juliet and Their Relationship?
During the play Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare manages to effectively depict the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet’s relationship. One way he achieves this is by creating sympathy for Romeo and Juliet, which consequently affects the reader and audience of the play. Three ways in which Shakespeare is able to create sympathy for them is through the general setting and plot structure, the language used, and also the characterisation of Romeo and Juliet. From the very beginning of the play (in the prologue), Shakespeare begins to create a sense of sympathy for Romeo and Juliet. Here, the audience is told that these two lovers are ‘star cross’d’ - meaning that their love goes against the stars and is therefore doomed to end in disaster. As a result, the audience watches the play with the expectation that Romeo and Juliet will both die, causing a sense of dramatic irony or foreshadowing. This subsequently makes the audience feel sympathy for Romeo and Juliet throughout the entire play, as they are in the knowledge that this hopeful relationship will end prematurely. In addition, Romeo and Juliet stand as two innocent figures amidst the violent feud between their two families. The audience sympathizes with the fact that Romeo and Juliet are separated by the feud in which they are mere bystanders in, and that it is the other members of the two families, such as Tybalt who are denying them of their chance to be together. In Act 2 Scene 2 (lines 40-44), Juliet laments over the fact that Romeo is a Montague, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet." This phrase is an analogy showing how Juliet resents not being able to be with Romeo purely because of his name and the family he belongs to, even though she loves him solely for who he is. In addition, during the aftermath of Romeo and Juliet’s death, the audience gain sympathy for the couple All through this play, such coincidences and unfortunate plot twists are a key element in

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet is without doubt one of the most well-known love story. Throughout the five acts of the play, one tragedy follows another, with the famous suicide of Romeo and Juliet as a tragic conclusion. Throughout the play, it may seem that Romeo caused these events to unfold, however it is unjust to say that he bears all responsibility for the tragedy. The decisions, actions and circumstances that other characters made and faced have also contributed to the tragic outcome. Nevertheless, it is also in the hands of fate that destined the immature deaths of Romeo and Juliet…

    • 1359 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Through careful analysis of Shakespeare's language, characterisation and dramatic technique,discuss the nature and development of Romeo and Juliet's relationship.…

    • 1773 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The theme of love is predominant throughout the entirety of ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Many forms of love are incorporated throughout the play and displayed through the relationships of different characters. Romantic love between Romeo and Juliet is contrasted by a sensual perception of love in the play, while themes of familial love and friendship are discussed with regards to the superficial and unrequited love Romeo experienced with Rosaline.…

    • 1204 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    One of the primary impetuses in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is intense, wild feelings; love, hatred, anger, captivation, and shock are all obvious in the play and directly affect the terrible scenarios that develop. In (II.ii), the most acquainted feelings passed on are those of despondency, adoration and genuineness. Shakespeare utilizes symbolism, non-literal language and effective vocabulary to pass on these feelings to his audience.…

    • 439 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet was written in the Elizabethan era towards the end of the sixteenth century. The play presents a poignant tragedy the magnitude of which transcends the passage of time and culture. Among the themes of universal relevance that contribute to the tragedy are fate and the personality flaws of key characters. At the conclusion of the play, these themes combine to evoke profound sorrow both within the audience and among the play’s surviving characters.…

    • 800 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo is the son and heir of Montague and Lady Montague but is also best friends with Mercutio and his cousin Benvolio. Romeo has a stronger bond to Friar Lawrence than he does with his parent and this makes the Friar the father figure of Romeo just like how the nurse is for Juliet. Verona respected and loved him; in addition, he was also a handsome man who falls easily in and out of love. During the play, Romeo’s character evolves from adolescence to adulthood as a result of his love for Juliet and his inherited involvement in the feud between the Capulets and Montagues.…

    • 949 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Many have said that romance brings love and affection, but when taken to the extreme, it can lead to tragedy and despair. In the literary play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare created a tragedy protagonist, Juliet, whose tragic death “buries their parents’ strife” (Prologue). The eternal feud between Montague and Capulets restraints the love between Romeo and Juliet and ultimately lead to their death. Juliet’s death has many different factors, and it’s hard to determine the truly blame of Juliet’s death. In all the important characters, Lord Capulet refuses to listen to Juliet’s request, which result in Juliet’s death. In the other hand, Romeo’s immature, impulsive and Friar Lawrence’s cowardice are all generate Juliet’s tragedy.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In this scene Shakespeare presents the relationship between Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy. I can tell this because it says ‘I must be gone and live’. This shows that Romeo knows he might die if he stays but he is choosing to stay to see Juliet. It also shows how much they love each other as Romeo is showing he would die for Juliet. By using the image of death, it shows that the story might become a tragedy. By including hints towards a tragedy, it keeps the audience interested. It also shows how bitter the feud is between the two families.…

    • 386 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Romeo and Juliet is hailed as a staple of romantic literature, with beautiful prose and loving relationships. However, while its language is eloquent, Romeo and Juliet’s relation is the antithesis of a good relationship. Any relationship which involves both parties ending up dead within a few days of meeting each other is probably not healthy. It’s clear both of them rushed into it based on superficial reasons and stupidity ended it early.…

    • 324 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    In the play, William Shakespeare demonstrates the beauty of love and how said love, could in turn, resolve the bitter rivalry between the two families. The love between Romeo and Juliet is sublimely beautiful. Not only do they feel deeply for each other; ‘Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! / For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night’ , but they also respect each other. Neither attempts to impose his or her will on the other; neither places his or her welfare above the other. Juliet’s feelings towards Romeo: ‘My bounty is as boundless as the sea, / My love as deep; the more I give to [Romeo], / The more I have, for both are…

    • 1328 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    “Romeo and Juliet” is a play written by Shakespeare around 1950, which celebrates the beauty of love whilst also exploring the destructive nature of pride - the tragedy is made all the more poignant because both these elements of human nature are incorporated. The play is mostly about how love, not pride can affect people’s emotions. Shakespeare shows how love can be beautiful yet destructive. The tragedy is created when love and pride work together to create doomed circumstances for Romeo and Juliet.…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The emotions portrayed in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet play an important part in the composition of the play. The two crucial emotions that are introduced in Act One and used throughout the play are the antonyms of love and hate. Contrast between these emotions are used in the first act, which supplies us with a more realistic situation. The complicated and conflicting relationships between the characters in the play are explored and portrayed by these emotions.…

    • 840 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The deaths of Romeo and Juliet in this tragic play truly do pluck at the strings of the heart. As the play goes from start to finish, a bond is formed between the audience and the young couple: nothing but luck and happiness are wished for them. No one wishes for anything bad or awful to them, just the opposite. That is the way William Shakespeare…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Shakespeare was a writer during the golden age, who’s plays have become world renowned. He frequently used the theme of love in his plays, and Romeo and Juliet is a shining example of this theme. He used the ideas of true love and courtly love in the play, but also used the themes of unrequited love, Petrarchan style wooing, and family love and hate, to display an emotive, love fuelled feud that has become one of the best known plays of all time.…

    • 1422 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Act 2 Scene 2 contains some of the more recognizable and memorable passages in all of Shakespeare. It is the famous balcony scene, Romeo and Juliet reveal their love to each other and at Juliet's suggestion, they plan to marry. Shakespeare uses light and dark imagery in this scene to describe the blossoming of Romeo and Juliet's romance, As Romeo stands in the shadows, he looks to the balcony and compares Juliet to the sun. Juliet's soliloquy examines another of the play's themes, the importance of words and names. Juliet compares Romeo to a rose and reasons that if a rose were given another name, it would still be a rose in its essence. The rose shows romance in her mood after meeting Romeo for the first time. If Romeo abandoned his family name, he would still be Romeo. Juliet calls into the night for Romeo to "refuse thy name" and in return, she will "no longer be a Capulet." Therein lies one of the great conflicts in the play. While their love blossoms in oblivion to any barriers, the people who affect their lives use their familial battles to impose separation upon the two young lovers. Juliet uses emotive exclamatives such as ‘O be some other name!’ this shows that she wants to be Romeo’s but doesn’t want to lose her family, however because she is so in love even though a different name would be better for her situation she no longer cares and would do…

    • 1343 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays