Mani Ramezani
Mr. Cohen
ENG3U
Monday, June 5, 2023
Literature Review for Romeo And Juliet
Nevo, Ruth. “Tragic Form in Romeo and Juliet.” Studies in English Literature, 1500-1900, vol. 9, no. 2, 1969, pp. 241–58. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/449778. Accessed 5 June 2023.
Within Nevo’s study of Romeo And Juliet, the tragic theme and the connection between the Christian religion and Shakespeare are examined and analyzed. Nevo believed that the language of love and death are closely intertwined and that the play's imagery often emphasizes the fragility and transience of human life. Considering that this article is published by John Hopkins and Rice University, and that there are 20 other articles and essays from Ruth Nevo, a reader can assume that this article is really reliable. Ruth Nevo says in her article:
Friar's own benevolent, would-be "providential" and truly Christian interference in the course of events in fact precipitates the catastrophe as much as anything in the play (Nevo, 250).
From this criticism of Nevo, we can understand that although Friar Lawrence helped Romeo and Juliet with a benevolent intention, Friar Lawrence’s help did not make the situation better, but made it worse. This quote is very good to support the thesis that Friar Lawrence was not a reliable source.
Smith, Robert Metcalf. “THREE INTERPRETATIONS OF ‘ROMEO AND JULIET.’” The Shakespeare Association Bulletin, vol. 23, no. 2, 1948, pp. 59–77. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/23675399. Accessed 5 June 2023.
Within Smith’s study of Romeo And Juliet, three different interpretations of Romeo and Juliet have been examined: The tragedy of social justice, poetic justice, and tragedy of fate. Smith argues that each interpretation offers valuable insights into the play and that a comprehensive understanding of Romeo and Juliet requires taking into account all three perspectives. Considering that this article is published by Oxford University, and that there are 9 other articles and essays from Robert Metcalf Smith, a reader can assume that this article is really reliable. Robert Metcalf Smith says in his article:
Romeo and Juliet pay for the consequences of their rash and impetuous natures; hence Shakespeare wrote the play to exhibit not the revenge of society but the tragic folly of youth. The lovers are not innocent sufferers or sacrifices, but heedless and reckless youth (Smith, 63).
This opinion of Smith shows that everything that happened to Romeo and Juliet was not due to fate, but because of their hasty and thoughtless decisions. They were rash and reckless youths who not only brought about their own downfall but also the downfall of their families. This quote supports the thesis that both Romeo and Juliet were in a hurry and they didn’t even think.
There are very interesting comments about Juliet in Robert Metcalf Smith's article. One of these comments is about the lack of loyalty and lack of communication between Juliet and her family. Robert Metcalf Smith says in a part of the article:
But let us proceed to reveal another fault Watt has overlooked: Juliet's deceitful nature, her capacity for lying to Paris and to her Mother and Father and doubtless we might find other "faults" if we wished to abandon our minds further to this ungracious kind of detraction (Smith, 65).
This quote well proves the lack of communication between Juliet and her family. In addition, the lack of communication is caused by the lack of loyalty, which Robert Metcalf Smith has also explained about that. In general, it can be said that the lack of loyalty and communication with Juliet is one of her thousands of faults and perhaps the main reason for their downfall.
Perfect 💯