Tragedy in Romeo And Juliet Essay

Romeo and Juliet Essay

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is commonly known as Newtons third law of motion and it is one of the basic components of classic physics. This same concept is shown in Romeo and Juliet by illustrating that there is a balance in life, as in when there is a fortunate event that acts as a action force, there will always be an unfortunate event that is the resulting reaction force. William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet is a story about two lovers whose fate was destined to be a calamity as a result of their parents strife. This play might convince readers that the story of Romeo and Juliet is merely doomed, but in truth, it is balanced between a series of events that are happy and tragic. In the beginning, when Romeo and Juliet meet, its almost like love at first sight- but then later that discover that they are almost forbidden for each other. Later, when they do end up getting married, Romeo almost immediately kills Tybalt for revenge, which forms a big issue since he gets banished from Verona and he would no longer be able to see Juliet again. After that, Juliet finally finds a way to be with Romeo and not be married to Paris but that plan fails miserably due to the fact that Romeo thinks Juliet really did die and that results in the death of both Romeo and Juliet.

Balance is something that is used throughout the play and one specific time it is mentioned with much depth is during Friar Laurences speech to himself right before Romeo comes to visit him. For naught so vile that on the earth doth live But to the earth some special good doth give. Nor aught so good but, strained from that fair use Revolts from true birth, stumbling on abuse (II, iii) This explains that everything in life has a purpose and that nothing is purely evil just like nothing is purely good. This talks about the balance in life and that there needs to be a balance in order for everything to work in life. This can be used to describe how Shakespeare put the events in the play. He used an action-reaction pattern in which he balances the happiness and tragedies because as mentioned in the quote, too much happiness can be like poison just as too much tragedy can be poisonous to ones life. He found the balance as he wrote the play which connects to life itself in a bigger way than imaginable.

When Romeo and Juliet meet, they immediately fall in love, which to both of them at the moment, was really pleasant and exciting, which is far from a tragic moment in Romeo and Juliet. Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight! For I neer saw true beauty till this night. (I, v) This quote was said by Romeo to himself at the Capulets party. It clearly tells us that it was the start of the actual plot of the play, which starts off because Romeo is captivated by Juliet and this starts off the romance between them, in a more pleasant manner. This is the action force that starts off the balancing act that Shakespeare played with. Later though, Juliet finds out that he is a Montague, the son of her familys rival, which begins the first conflict between Romeo and Juliet. My only love sprung from my only hate! Too early seen unknown, and known too late! Prodigious birth of love it is to me, That I must love a loathed enemy. (I, v) This is a quote that Juliet says to the nurse, in a way that she doesnt understand what Juliet is talking about, during the end of Capulets party. It displays the fact that Juliet is in a predicament because the only man she ever loved is from the family that she hates. Since this conflict is like the a reaction force since it marks the first tragic event that is followed by a more fortunate event, this clearly tells us that Shakespeare does indeed use the balance as key factor in writing Romeo and Juliet.

Another event that resembled great happiness in Romeo and Juliet was when Romeo and Juliet finally get married. Amen, amen. But come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy That one short minute gives me in her sight. Do thou but close our hands with holy words, Then love-devouring death do what he dare; It is enough I may but call her mine. (II, vi) This is said by Romeo to Friar Laurence right before he gets married to Juliet. This quote is really important to this play because it is one of those moments, when the reader suddenly stops caring at what happens in the end, but really starts listening. When he says these lines, it gives the reader some hope, and a deeper sense of the love that he has for Juliet and how real it feels to him by saying that nothing else matters as long as she can be his. Shakespeare put this quote and the whole wedding scene here on purpose so that he could introduce the reaction force, or the death of Tybalt that leads to the banishment of Romeo, which makes the reader shocked and anxious because of the situation which completely balances out the readers feelings from feeling extremely hopeful and understanding to complete frustration at the fact that even though they get to be married, they dont actually get to be together. Shakespeare uses this technique to make sure the reader truly understand the balance and that even when tragedy may strike, the happiness still there in life, even when it is overlooked by the massive heartbreaking events.

The last event that marked the last sign of anything joyful in Romeo and Juliet is when Juliet finally gets a plan to be with Romeo towards the end of the play. This event is really essential to the play because hope is the last happy thing that Shakespeare writes about. He makes sure that even though the reader knows the ending, that the end happens in a way that people start hopelessly wishing that there is some way for Romeo and Juliet to be together anyways. This action force gives the play the best component that balances out what was to happen with Romeo and Juliet. The reaction which was Romeo and Juliets death became something that by the end, didnt seem like it was so bad that you had to cry your eyes out because Shakespeare made that balance from the start. He made sure that their was enough happy and pleasant moments in the book that the tragedies themselves didnt seem too bad.

To conclude, there is an obvious balance in Romeo and Juliet the Shakespeare incorporated in the play. Readers may believe that Romeo and Juliet is a complete doomed romance, but in reality, the play is completely balanced between happiness and tragedy like everything is in life around you. It may seem like this would just affect this play but just like with Romeo and Juliet, real life events are also balanced with days that bring you joy and days that bring you down, and that balance is needed to be prepared for real life and just simply growing up because too much of either one can act as a poison to you.