Violence and Conflict in Romeo And Juliet Essay

Violence and conflict are central to Romeo and Juliet. Discuss how Shakespeare presents this theme with reference to three scenes in the play

Introduction

Violence and conflict are central to Romeo and Juliet discussions will be presented on how Shakespeare presents theme with reference to three scenes in the play.

Romeo and Juliet is a play about love and hate because even though there a lots of love scene there also a lost of action scenes, the action scenes which involves fighting and killings. The reason why there is a lot of fighting and disruption because there is a feud between the two families, which is Romeo family the Montagues and Juliet family the Capulets. Romeo and Juliet fall in love and this love is forbidden because the both families hate each other. Romeo and Juliet secretly get married, however Juliet mom and dad have already organised a wedding for her and Juliet does not know what to do so she turns to the Priest and the Priest offers Juliet a potion so everyone thinks she is dead but secretly she did this so she does not have to marry Paris, meanwhile Romeo has been forced to leave the area as he has killed Juliet cousin Tybalt, but Romeo finds out about Juliet and arrives back to be by her side and kills himself without realising Juliet is not really dead and Juliet awakes realises Romeo has killed himself, she takes a sword and stabs herself. Afterwards the families both realise and agree to no longer fight.

In Romeo and Juliet, the prologue made the audience aware of the nature of the play before it began. The prologue to this play discloses the differences between the Capulets and Montagues, the two important families of Verona, and the role of fate in bringing them together in the end. The Prologue then tells that the children of these two warring families innocently become victims of the conflict; they fall in love, marry secretly, and kill themselves in order to be together in eternity since they feel they cannot be together in Verona. The Prologue states, in sonnet form, that the story of their ill-fated, death-marked love is the theme of the play.

Historical background

Romeo and Juliet is one of the early plays of Shakespeare. It was probably written in 1594 or 1595, for it is similar in language to A Midsummer's Night Dream and Richard II. Some scholars, however, date the drama to 1591, for there is a reference made by the nurse in the play to an earthquake that happened eleven years earlier. The actual earthquake in Italy occurred in 1580. The majority of scholars today place the play after 1594.

Shakespeare drew most of his plots from European stories that had been translated into English. Romeo and Juliet was probably based on an Italian romance.

First violence scene - Act 1 sc. I

The first scene begins with unimportant characters, but it is lively and immediately captures the attention of the audience. Servants begin fighting, and the stage is suddenly filled with action and the sounds of striking swords. The purpose of the street brawl is to visibly show the hatred that exists between the house of the Capulets and the house of the Montagues, not just at the highest levels, but all the way down to the servants who are fighting. More important characters soon begin to arrive on stage. Benvolio, a Montague, comes in as a peacemaker and tries to stop the fighting. Tybalt, a Capulet, enters with temper flaring and challenges Benvolio to a fight. Lord Capulet and Lord Montague arrive and are ready to enter the brawl if necessary in spite of their advanced age and nobility. This is no ordinary argue, but a long-standing feud based on familial history and bitter hatred. The Prince of Verona, Escalus, knows the conflict has greatly affected his fine city and wants it stopped. When he hears the noise of the fighting, he comes on the scene and threatens punishment if the fighting does not stop.

Romeo has not taken part in the fight, but wanders on the stage after the fighting has stopped. He is a handsome, idealistic, and romantic youth who is in love. He tells Benvolio of his deep feelings for a beautiful young lady (later identified as Rosaline). He seems to worship her, but it is from afar, for she is unfriendly and does not return his love. As a result, Romeo moons about, feeling very depressed. Shakespeare places this scene at the beginning of the play in order to show the romantic character of his hero; the scene will also be contrasted later in the play when Romeo reacts to Juliet in a very different manner. He thinks he loves Rosaline; he truly loves Juliet.

Second violence scene Act 3 scene v

This scene is characterized by rapidity of action and varied moods. It marks the crisis of the play with the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt and the banishment of Romeo. Although Romeo has married Juliet, he is now unable to stay with her in Verona. The fate of the lovers has taken a serious turn.

Benvolio's advice to Mercutio that they go home was sound advice since the Capulets are out and about; unfortunately the advice falls on hard of hearing. Soon Tybalt arrives on the scene looking for Romeo, and the two reckless characters, Mercutio and Tybalt, are eager for a fight. Romeo arrives on the scene, fresh from his marriage to Juliet and glowing with love. Tybalt calls him a villain, but Romeo refuses to fight him. Instead, he tells Tybalt that he loves all Capulets (who are now his relatives by marriage). Mercutio, ashamed of Romeo's submission, challenges Tybalt to fight with him. The fight begins with Romeo trying to make peace. His appeals are to no benefit, and Mercutio is mortally wounded in the fight. Romeo, honour his friend, has no alternative but to get your own back for his dead friend and fight with Tybalt, even though he knows it will make his wife sad. In the fight that follows, Tybalt is killed by Romeo. The Prince arrives on the scene and demands explanation about the incidents. He then punishes Romeo by sending him away from Verona and heavily fines both families.

Throughout this scene, the characters, except for the changed Romeo, behave typically. It is Tybalt's hot temper and aggressiveness that is responsible for precipitating the crisis. He is out in the streets looking for a fight, particularly with Romeo. When Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, Tybalt eagerly enters the fight with Mercutio. Mercutio is again pictured as being argumentative and verbal. Just before his death, Mercutio's sharp and brilliant wit again comes to the front position; as he dies, he jokes about his wound. His chief regret is that Tybalt, his bitter enemy, has escaped unhurt, and he blames Romeo for interfering. Mercutio dies cursing the two families. "A plague on both your houses!" This curse is quickly to come to pass in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.

Lady Capulet also behaves typically. She is all excitement and anger and immediately demands the death of Romeo in revenge for her nephew's murder; ironically Romeo, unknown to her, is now Lady Capulet's son-in-law. In difference to her recklessness, the prince's judgment appears to be sound and free from personal revenge. He knows that the Capulets are sufficiently punished in the death of their nephew and the Montagues are punished by making Romeo disappear. Paris desperately wants peace in his city; little does he know that it will take the deaths of two more innocents to bring peace.

Fate once again places a significant part in this scene. If Mercutio had listened to the advice of his friend and peacemaker Benvolio, the argument (and thus the tragedy) could have been avoided. If Romeo and Juliet had immediately announced their marriage, the outcome would also have been different. Perhaps the two families would have immediately ended their feud, as Friar Lawrence had hoped. Certainly, Tybalt would have felt different about Romeo and not been as aggressive towards him.

Third violence scene Act 3 scene v

Juliet shows superb tension as she realizes that Romeo must leave her, but begs him to stay. It is appropriate that the time is dawn, which divides the day and the night. The tension is further reflected in the light and dark images that colour their speeches. Romeo knows he must immediately leave for "Night's candles are burnt out," and he sees light in the east. Juliet tries to explain it away as a meteor in the darkness. As Romeo finally goes down the ladder, Juliet, with dramatic sarcasm, asks a moving question: "O think'st thou we shall meet again"? Romeo bravely tries to comfort her. Looking down upon him from her balcony, Juliet utters a totally predictive line: "O God! I have an ill-divining soul/Methinks I see thee, now thou art below/As one dead in the bottom of a tomb." When the lovers meet next, it will be in a tomb, and Romeo will be dead.

The next part of the scene is in sharp contrast to this quiet, nervous goodbye between the two lovers. Both Capulets are passionate as they punish their daughter when she refuses to marry Paris. They are confused and furious over her disobedience. Capulet, whose temper has been shown before, explodes into a violent rage and shout at his daughter for her ungratefulness. He calls her "young baggage" and "a disobedient wretch" and threatens to leave her penniless if she does not obey his commands. The irony is that in her own mind she has already been banished from her family when Romeo left Verona.