Mani Ramezani
Mr. Cohen
ENG3U
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
To what extent do both Romeo and Juliet create their own downfall within Romeo and Juliet?
“Oh, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night. Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear, Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear” (1, 5, 42). In the realm of eternal literary masterpieces, there are few works that show the ultimate love and madness and find a place in the hearts of readers: William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is one of them. Shakespeare showed us that love is a powerful force between two individuals where there is no room for selfishness and they do everything for each other. But every love story doesn’t have a happy ending, like Romeo and Juliet, whose destiny was nothing but death. There were three main reasons for their tragic end: lack of loyalty and communication between Romeo and Juliet and their families, rash and thoughtless actions, and reliance on unreliable sources. In Act 1, they saw each other, and in the same act, they fell in love with each other. In Act 2, they were no longer loyal to their families because of love. Then, because of the lack of communication and loyalty with their families, they trusted other people.
There is a very good and strong loyalty between Romeo’s family and also there is a strong loyalty between Juliet’s family. This loyalty made them strong and powerful. For example, Gregory from the Capulet family said that: “The quarrel is between our masters and us their men” (1, 1, 18), and Benvolio from the Montague family said that: “I’ll pay that doctrine or else die in debt” (1, 1, 232). These quotes show well that they are fiercely loyal to their own family and are willing to do anything to stay loyal. But the more time Romeo and Juliet spent together, the more loyal they became to each other and unfaithful to their families. They reached a point where Juliet said: “Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet” (2, 2, 35). In this quote, “sworn” indicates that Juliet is determined in her decision; and she is really willing to do anything for love. Even disloyalty to her family. Also, the words "sworn my love" evoke a sense of commitment and loyalty. After that, Romeo said: “I take thee at thy word. Call me but love, and I’ll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo” (2, 2, 50). After this sentence, there is no longer any feeling of loyalty between Romeo and his family, and Juliet and her family. Even worse, Capulet said: “I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday, or never after look me in the face” (3, 5, 161). This quote shows well that the lack of loyalty between them has also caused a lack of communication. They can't even agree on an issue anymore. Also, Shakespeare used dialogue structure to indicate and emphasize the lack of communication between Juliet and her family. The dialogue exchanges between Juliet and her parents, particularly Juliet and her mother, illustrate the growing rift caused by their conflicting desires and expectations. However, despite the hostility between the Montagues and the Capulets, Romeo and Juliet are in love with each other, and their secret meetings and conversations are a strong contrast to the lack of understanding and communication within their respective families. In the Shakespeare Society Bulletin published by the University of Oxford, there is an article called Three Interpretations of "Romeo and Juliet" by Robert Metcalf Smith. 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 the 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. Robert Metcalf Smith says in his 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. Also, considering the historical context, most male audience members had likely experienced battles and valued loyalty, so Juliet's perceived lack of loyalty to her family might be seen as a fault by the audience at that time too. In general, it can be said that the lack of loyalty and communication between Juliet and her family is one of her thousands of faults and perhaps the main reason for their downfall. However, there are still those who say that it is love for Romeo that matters, not disloyalty to family.
Another reason for the downfall of Romeo and Juliet was their excessive haste in everything. From the beginning of their meeting until their deaths, they had no thought and no patience. Even their love was not real! After meeting at the end of Act 1, they fell deeply in love with each other in Act 2 and talked about getting married. Romeo, in Act 2, said: “Can I go forward when my heart is here? Turn back, dull earth, and find thy center out” (2, 1, 1). The rhetorical question, "Can I go forward when my heart is here?" expresses a feeling of uncertainty and doubt. Also, in this quote, "forward" is a good indication that Romeo is in a hurry and doesn't even want to know more about Juliet. After Romeo, Juliet said: “Do not swear at all. Or, if thou wilt, swear by thy gracious self, Which is the god of my idolatry, And I’ll believe thee” (2, 2, 112). In this quote, Juliet's plea reflects her rapid and intense infatuation with Romeo, which represents a hasty act driven by unreal love. Their haste was not only for love but also for their deaths. For example, Romeo said: “Here’s to my love! O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die” (5, 3, 119), and then he killed himself, even without a bit of thought and patience. But this haste and thoughtlessness were not only for Romeo; Juliet also repeated the same mistake. After Juliet wakes up and looks for Romeo and finds him dead, she quickly says: “Yea, noise? Then I’ll be brief. O happy dagger, This is thy sheath. Then rust and let me die” (5, 3, 169), and she also killed herself. The soliloquy style in both of these quotes shows their inner turmoil and their rapid thought process, which is a very important point to support this thesis. However, there are still many who believe that this quick and thoughtless move by Romeo and Juliet is out of love and shows the strength of their love. But Robert Metcalf Smith, who has been discussed before, disagrees with them in his article and says:
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. During the Elizabethan period, in which Shakespeare wrote, there were certain norms and laws regarding marriage and courtship. In Shakespeare's time, marriages were often done by families for economic and political reasons, or to establish an alliance between two families, and their families had to consent in order to get married. But Romeo and Juliet married without the family’s consent. Therefore, Romeo and Juliet's intense and instantaneous love, which leads to hasty actions, can be seen as a departure from societal norms too.
The last reason for their downfall was their reliance on unreliable sources. In Romeo and Juliet, although Friar Lawrence had a good motive and his goal was to help Romeo and Juliet, his suggestions and help had a direct relationship with the downfall of Romeo and Juliet. Not only did he agree to let Romeo and Juliet marry in secret, but he also gave Juliet a potion to simulate death and said: "Hold, then. Go home, be merry. Give consent, To marry Paris. Wednesday is tomorrow" (4, 1, 90). The structure of this quote is a dialogue in which many imperative sentences are used. Friar Lawrence's use of imperative sentences showed that he was very sure of his plan, and Juliet just had to do it right to reach Romeo. But everything turned out the other way around; Juliet did her duty well but ended up causing her death. Also, in this quote, the words "be merry" show well that they know that what they want to do is against the family's opinion. However, they do not care about the family's opinion. In the Studies in English Literature 1500-1900 published by John Hopkins and Rice University, there is an article called Tragic Form in Romeo and Juliet by Ruth Nevo. 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 languages of love and death are closely intertwined and that the play's imagery often emphasizes the fragility and transience of human life. 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).
This criticism of Nevo shows that although Friar Lawrence helped Romeo and Juliet with a benevolent intention, his help did not make the situation better, but made it worse.
During Shakespeare's time, clergymen had special status and respect. But Friar Lawrence's actions in Romeo and Juliet were suspicious and against his religious duty. Instead of wise guidance, he suggested a secret marriage and very dangerous and wrong plans. Seeing such a cleric, challenged the mind of the audience at that time too.
In this unique work of Shakespeare, the concepts of hamartia, anagnorisis, and peripeteia are skillfully used. Hamartia lies in their rashness and leads them to their forbidden love; anagnorisis happens when Romeo and Juliet decide to kill themselves; and peripeteia happens when the Montagues and the Capulets, who were once enemies, meet at the grave of Romeo and Juliet. The use of these literary tools increases the emotional impact on the audience and gives the audience a better understanding of the show. By utilizing these literary devices, Shakespeare effectively demonstrates how Romeo and Juliet's impulsive actions, the realization of their forbidden love, and the tragic reversals of fortune all contribute to their downfall.
In conclusion, the tragic downfall of Romeo and Juliet can be attributed to three key factors: the lack of loyalty and communication between the young lovers and their families, their impulsive and thoughtless actions driven by their hasty infatuation, and their reliance on unreliable sources for guidance. The lack of loyalty and communication between Romeo and his family and Juliet and her family made things much worse and led to a tragic failure of understanding and support. Their hasty and thoughtless decisions, which were caused by naivety, youth, and unreal love, darkened their fate. Finally, their trust in unreliable sources, particularly Friar Lawrence and Nurse, underscored the inherent fragility of their plans and ultimately exacerbated their tragic fate. As the curtain falls on the tragic story of Romeo and Juliet, a profound realization remains: the flame of love may be bright, but it is often the darkness that defines its true essence. This masterpiece of Shakespeare and the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet will always remain in the hearts of readers.
Work Cited
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.
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.
Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Sparknotes, 2020.
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