Alyssa Ermino
Renaissance Period (Fiction)
Title: Romeo and Juliet
Author: William Shakespeare
Type of Work: tragic play
Genres: romantic tragedy, drama
William Shakespeare was an English playwright, poet and actor
who composed Romeo and Juliet between 1594 and 1595, at the same time
he wrote the comedies Love's Labour's Lost and A Midsummer Night's
Dream. Scholars frequently group these plays together because they deal
with love, courtship, and marriage. The language employed in the play has
also a similar poetic aspect, as they integrate sonnets and the conventions
connected with them, such as falling in love at first sight.
Many English dramatists and poets adapted a wide range of Italian
stories and poetry to create their own literary works during the 16th century.
The availability of these informations demonstrate the English interest in
Italian culture at the time, as the Italian Renaissance expanded. The name
Renaissance means "rebirth" and refers to the period after the Middle Ages
when there was a revival of interest in classical Roman and Greek culture.
The Renaissance was a time of fast discovery and progress that began in the
mid-14th century in Italy and rapidly spread over the rest of Europe.
The plot begins knowing the Montague and Capulet families
whose are not in good terms and have had another fight. The Prince, who
keeps the peace in Verona, says that if there are any further fights, the head
of the houses will be killed. Verona is the place or the setting of the whole of
Romeo and Juliet. It is used as the setting in three of Shakespeare’s plays;
The Taming of the Shrew, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and Romeo and
Juliet – but it is unknown if Shakespeare ever visited the city. Romeo, a
Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, meet at a party at the Capulets' house and
they kissed. Romeo shouldn't be there and Juliet's cousin Tybalt saw him and
decidesd to get a revenge for the insult. Romeo sneaks into the Capulet
orchard to see Juliet and they declare their love for each other and decide to
get married and be together. Romeo and Juliet get married in secret with the
help of Juliet’s nurse and Friar Laurence. Another fight breaks out in Verona
and Tybalt kills Romeo's friend Mercutio. Romeo had tried to prevent the fight
but, after Mercutio's death, he kills Tybalt. Juliet was deeply upset by the
news of Tybalt’s death and Romeo being banished. Lord Capulet tells Juliet
that she must marry a man named Paris, not knowing that she was already
married. Friar Laurence gives Juliet a potion that will make her dead so she
does not have to marry again. He sends Romeo a note to explain the plan
and Juliet takes the potion. Her body is moved to the family tomb. Romeo
does not receive the note about the potion from Friar Laurence and thinks
Juliet is really dead. He buys some poison and goes back to Verona. Romeo
goes to the tomb and realises he can't live without Juliet. He takes the poison
and dies next to her. Juliet wakes up and sees Romeo dead. She then kills
herself with Romeo’s sword.
After 20 years of living in this world just knowing their name,
finally, I know their story. Their love is beyond measure. I couldn't imagine that
love can be this powerful to halt the lives of two lovers. I can say their love on
each other was so pure and the tragedy makes me mad. Romeo and juliet is
a horror flick about the dangers of falling in love and going against our
parent's wishes. What got me, was not the love story of two young kids, but
the lack of true love of the parents who should have loved their children
unconditionally. What had me blubbering like a baby, was at the end when
their parents had realized how wrongly they had treated their children, by
putting their own selfish desires ahead of their children themselves.
Shakespeare couldn't be any happier knowing his masterpiece has surpassed
thousands of stories and reached millions of hearts.
Romeo and Juliet’s story has also endured in that there’s a long
tradition of other artistic creations that it has inspired. The tradition of adapting
the story has continued. Over the past 400 years, the richness of this tragedy
has inspired dance, film, theatrical parodies, orchestral interpretations, and
even a rock musical.