What, Juliet! Some may argue fate was to blame for Romeo’s […], “Romeo and Juliet,” a tragic play written by William Shakespeare, tells the story of two teenage lovers who get caught in the clash of their family’s ongoing conflict. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. competent and not delivered the invite to Romeo, none of the main events of the play would have occurred. Had the character been played by a female, the audience would probably find it rather tactless and distasteful to hear her talk about her own virginity. Since that moment, the mood of the play becomes much darker and the light hearted comedy element dies. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. Get free homework help on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet: play summary, scene summary and analysis and original text, quotes, essays, character analysis, and filmography courtesy of CliffsNotes. He too is completely oblivious to the rude comments he just said. Looking for a flexible role? LADY CAPULET: Nurse, where’s my daughter? While, suicide is mostly seen as tragic, Shakespeare incorporates elements of comedy that end up changing the type of play from tragedy to comedy. I believe, personally, that Shakespeare is using Mercutio to insult the Nurse’s looks as a device to keep reminding the audience that the nurse is really played by a man, thus enhancing the comedic value of this sequence. An example of dramatic irony occurs when Juliet commits suicide because she believes Romeo is dead (in Romeo and Juliet). Here are the beetle brows shall blush for me. The tragic result was that through his grief that Juliet was dead, Romeo killed himself and as a consequence, upon waking Juliet took her life. Romeo was solely focused on Juliet. The second Romeo lays eyes on Juliet at the Capulet party, he instantly has his eyes locked on her and is overwhelmed with her beauty. They had such a longing to be together, and to them this was the only option. Disclaimer: This is an example of a student written essay.Click here for sample essays written by our professional writers. He used a technique that would grab the attention of anyone, his dialogue. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet’s love and Tybalt’s hate further develop the theme of the tragedy. Drama shows the passion of human resulting in acts, where the point of poetry shows the reality of life. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is a well known tragedy and consists of two suicides. For example, Lady Montague, Romeo’s mother, would not have passed away of grief if Romeo had never fallen in love with Juliet. MERCUTIO: If love be rough with you, be rough with love; Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down. The audience are anticipating a huge brawl between these four men, yet the very inappropriate way this single word is being driven into the ground makes it funnier. Humor in romeo and juliet 590 words | study guides and book. For example, Lady Montague, Romeo’s mother, would not have passed away of grief if Romeo had never fallen in love with Juliet. Through many plot twists and turns, Romeo poisons himself when he thinks Juliet is dead. what light through yonder window breaks? In Act Four, her lines become much smaller and insignificant until she is completely mute and in act five (the act where the couple commit suicide) she doesn’t even appear at all. The fearful passage of their death-mark’d love, And the continuance of their parents’ rage, W… The reason for Tybalt and Mercutio’s death was caused because of Romeo’s appearance at the Capulet party. Romeo has fallen in love. The nurse in romeo and juliet: character description and analysis. This story is a tragedy because these … :: life and times:: internet. After hearing this little speech, the Nurse’s aide, Peter, decides to speak: Peter: I saw no man use you a pleasure; if I had, my weapon, should quickly have been out, I warrant you: I dare, draw as soon as another man, if I see occasion in a. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Structure Task Puns Sum up your text and find the message/ pun in it. This is hugely contrary to how the nurse is acting, her mistress seems completely overthrown by her behaviour and seems fully inept when it comes down to having to control her servant. The Comedy of Romeo and Juliet - 2 The second example in support of my argument: Romeo: Pardon, good Mercutio, my business was great, and in such a case as mine a man may strain courtesy. Mercutio: That's as much as to say, such a case as yours constrains a man to bow in the hams. Contents 1 Introduction 1.1 Citations Introduction Shakespeare can be fairly regarded as one very tough writer to read and understand. To back that up, they fall in love at first sight, the reason for all the tragedies is driven by love, and the play can be thought to have a happy ending. For the next scene at the Capulet party, Shakespeare tones the comedy down greatly to make way for the romance of when Romeo finally meets Juliet. The very memory of that very first scene would surely be enough to make the audience chuckle again, just as it did the first time around: another addition to the repetition technique to humour. In William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , a long feud between the Montague and Capulet families disrupts the city of Verona and causes tragic results for Romeo and Juliet. VAT Registration No: 842417633. As light shines from the window, Romeo compares Juliet to a rising sun , which has fairly strong connotations of warmth and love. This technique is still used now, in the modern age, in the form of pantomimes and their dames. The reason why the Nurse ‘s husband said this is that he is referring to that Juliet will one day fall down on her back in order to have easier sexual intercourse when she one day gets married. Romeo: Meaning "to curtsy"? What, lamb! Special offer for LiteratureEssaySamples.com readers. If Romeo had not spotted Juliet, he would have left the party hopelessly and would not have been seen by Tybalt. Despite the […], Many people see Romeo and Juliet as a tragedy, but how often is such comedy in a tragedy? In the play Romeo and Juliet Romeo being the tragic hero, possesses that quality. Jacks; and if I cannot, I’ll find those that shall. Romeo and Juliet's strong love for one another caused them heartache in their lives. The Comedy and Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare The Prologue includes phrases like 'death-marked love' and 'fatal loins'. So in conclusion, William Shakespeare managed to add comedic touches into this play in order to grasp the audience’s attention and engage them quite effectively. Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. As defined by Aristotle, 'tragedy … Consider the balance of tragedy and comedy in Act one, concluding whether it is on the whole humorous of tragic. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Saying “A sail, a sail!”. This is especially true for the constant comparison of Romeo’s love for Juliet to a religious and spiritual experience. Interest and Tension in William Shakespeare's Act One of Romeo and Juliet William Shakespeare was a famous and successful play writer who lived in the Elizabethan times. God forbid! Study for free with our range of university lectures! There are two levels two the humour in this statement. Romeo is a Montague, and in the city of Verona the Montagues are a well known and respected family. It is only until act Two Scene Four that the two most comically essential characters of the play (The Nurse and Mercutio) actually cross each other’s paths and this probably one of the most comic moments in the entire play. Romeo and Juliet’s love for each other is so strong that they stand together against the whole world. Even in a total outrage about her recent abuse from Mercutio, Shakespeare still makes sure that the nurse stays totally truthful to her hilarious character and can’t help but make several innuendoes even when she herself does not know it. This cruel irony could have potential to be funny, but because the play is at that morbid moment, it just appears tragically brutal. His blatant inability to read manages to give the audience a few cheap laughs, but Shakespeare needs the Clown to act buffoonish because it’s through that idiocy that presents Romeo and his friends the opportunity to gatecrash the Capulet party and, in turn, meet Juliet and fall in love with her. All work is written to order. Symbolically, just as the comedy drains out scene by scene, the Nurse also has less time featured on stage. Certain parts of this comedy are worth noting. Some of the most distinct are Franco Zeffirelli ’s Romeo and Juliet (1968), Baz Luhrmann ’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), and the zombie romantic comedy Warm Bodies (2013). Related : Comedy In Romeo And Juliet Examples. Once again, the character of Mercutio decides to totally belittle Romeo’s new found affection for Juliet by making vulgar and sexual suggestions about her to Rome. Thou wilt fall backward when thou hast more wit; There are a very large number of sexual references and innuendoes in this one speech alone. The character probably meant it in the sense of using her for verbal abuse, as displayed by Mercutio, but how the audience interprets this is left to the imagination. He chose to re-enter the Capulet’s domain, abandoning this friends, in order to find Juliet. Published: 1st Jan 2015 in Tags: comedy Lebih baru The nurse being played by a male actor could also open up an opportunity for Shakespeare to show some more visual comedy in the play by setting the actor up with the most ridiculously fake set of breasts and a very tacky styled dress. Shakespeare portrays very distinctly that Romeo and Juliet first fell in love based on looks and later on during the balcony scene, fell more in love with each other’s personality and heart. The Nurse makes several crude jokes without realising it. Romeo desired to be with his love interest, and so sought her despite the dangers such action entailed. Yet the first Act has many humorous moments. The nurse is one of the main comedy characters she keeps the tension in the play by delaying important for Juliet; the nurse says teasing Juliet “Henceforward do your messages yourself” which shows how Shakespeare is making the nurse keep the tension. Comedy or Tragedy Romeo and Juliet can be considered a Tragedy because there are several elements in the play that meet three different characteristics of a Shakespearean. Shakespeare does not disappoint. No plagiarism, guaranteed! I was asked to find examples of where Shakespeare creates humor using literary devices. Shakespeare’s audiences were much more prone to listening to what was being said so picking up on this would be no problem for them. Even though a woman acting in the theatre was totally unheard of in Shakespeare’s time, it works better for the comedy of the character if it is played by a man. From this we might think that Romeo and Juliet is an unrelenting tragedy. The audience would recognise the naked weapon pun as a throwback to the Sampson and Gregory sequence’s “penis humour”. One again, Shakespeare harnesses the crude humour on the topic of sex to keep a firm hold on the audience’s attention, he has to keep up the comedy so the audience is paying full attention for when the plot thickens and the play becomes a tragedy. The first being the “maidenhead” remark, which may mean virginity but is also an obvious reference to the dirty banter of Sampson and Gregory earlier on, the viewers would have to have seen this scene to understand the joke. There are many examples of how this play is a tragedy. Mercutio: And, to sink in it, should you burden love; Too great oppression for a tender thing. For example in Romeo and Juliet the effect of poetry through language is very successful and it also gives a powerful identification, which is love. Romeo and Juliet. Symbolically, just as the comedy drains out scene by scene, the Nurse also has less time featured on stage. Because the message that Juliet was only asleep was not delivered to Romeo, Romeo assumed Juliet was dead when he found her. The thought of Rosaline instantaneously leaves his mind, which makes it seem that he was never genuinely in love with Rosaline. They were at such a young age and felt that no one could ever truly understand how deeply their love was. For then she could stand alone; nay, by the rood. Mercutio has one final insult: Mercutio: Farewell, ancient lady; farewell,–. Servants at this time were supposed to be together, well mannered and were meant to speak only when spoken to by their masters or mistresses. Men were supposed to be emotionless and strong while women […], A drama well known by William Shakespeare is Romeo and Juliet. The two young lovers meet and fall in love, but because of the age-old feud between their families, they are destined for misfortune. Do you have a 2:1 degree or higher? Shakespeare’s play about the doomed romance of two teenagers from feuding families is the most famous love story written. We're here to answer any questions you have about our services. Juliet's cousin Tybalt kills Romeo's friend Mercutio. Most of the tragedies that occur in the play are driven by the love of Romeo and Juliet. Clown: Find them out whose names are written here! We've received widespread press coverage since 2003, Your UKEssays purchase is secure and we're rated 4.4/5 on reviews.co.uk. Romeo kills Tybalt and becomes a criminal. And because of this strong love, they both felt as though they needed each other to be whole or to continue living. On its surface, Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet appears to adhere most loyally to the written play. Following the party where Romeo and Juliet first met, beginning their tragic relationship, Romeo continued, and Juliet started, to demonstrate self-destructive acts. Nurse: An a’ speak anything against me, I’ll take him, down, an a’ were lustier than he is, and twenty such. Not only that, but I believe that Shakespeare wanted to give the nurse the most lines and presence in this scene because she is one of the main comic characters in the play and by doing this he intended the character gain the audiences favour, so they like the character and expect to see her much more often later on. Examples of Tragedy: Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. Shakespeare uses the thematic focus […], Romeo and Juliet is widely known to be a tragedy, but what caused the atrocity for which it is so renowned? […], Back in 1597, the classic William Shakespeare play, Romeo & Juliet, was published. Secondly, Aristotle stated that this unity of action entails a clear beginning, middle and end. No fear shakespeare: romeo and juliet: act 2 scene 5. True, the speech the Nurse gives is full to the brim with crude and sexual jokes, but the fact that a servant is completely overpowering both her mistress and her daughter in this scene is also somewhat amusing. Not sure the difference between the two?Read this article. The nurse, trying to keep up her aristocratic guise tries to ignore Mercutio, but he still keeps the jokes coming in fast and thick. He ended up killing himself because of his love for Juliet, which Mayer 2led to Lady Montague’s death. The rude comedy here is obvious, even to modern audiences: Romeo is once again dreaming about love and romance and Mercutio starts to mock him by turning the subject of romance into a “penis joke” by using the word prick several times. Romeo and Juliet killed themselves because of love. In the book you are shown many different examples of fate and the role that fate played in the story. The play’s focus and emphasis based around the sensation and theory of “love at first sight”, the […], West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet both revolve around two rival groups and/or gangs. In a comedy, the catastrophe is often a major event that is not tragic-the marriage of two characters, for example. *You can also browse our support articles here >. The friar tries to help the couple by having Juliet fake her death. For example, Lady Montague, Romeo’s mother, would not have passed away of grief if Romeo had never fallen in love with Juliet. Scurvy knave! To some extent it is probably a good thing because Shakespeare needs the people watching the play to always keep in mind it’s a man so they don’t start to forget it’s not really a woman and start viewing the crude humour as inappropriate and vulgar. What, ladybird! From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life Whose misadventured piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents’ strife. The play Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare in 1589 is about two young teenagers who fall in love and wind up killing themselves over their love for each other. In Romeo and Juliet, from the first act till the last, the story follows Romeo and Juliet’s love story. The virginity joke is doubled by the fact that Shakespeare makes sure that this barmy old female character is in fact played by a fully grown man, dressed in women’s clothing. He is first seen in this scene with Romeo and Benvolio, trying to convince the sceptical Romeo to attend the Capulet ball. Act One Scene Four introduces possibly the second most prominent character as far as comedy is concerned here: Mercutio. The reason for Tybalt and Mercutio’s death was caused because of Romeo’s appearance at the Capulet party. In Act Four, her lines become much smaller and insignificant until she is …