Romeo and Juliet, and Other Shakespeares Tragedies - Essay Example

The tragedy of Romeo and Juliet has been an important piece of literature that has shaped the way hat we look at love stories and tragedies at the same time. The concept of young love and of young death is something that logic does not easily permit us to fathom. Our instinct to lay blame on something or someone is automatic as it gives us something to grasp in our desire to explain things for our own comfort. The capacity of Romeo and Juliet to provoke thought all through these years proves why the text is a classic which has become a staple in literary conversations. In my opinion, no one is directly to blame for the tragedy, it was matter-of fact, faults that occurred. The dispute between the Capulet’s and the Montague’s has expanded generations. The young love which has capitulated Romeo and Juliet into each other’s arms was something that nobody can help. It is quite true that love sees no reason, it only sees what it wants to see and this sets off their romantic story. As a famous line by Juliet in the play goes “Whats in a name? That which we call a rose. By any other name would smell as sweet” (Shakespeare, 55). The bickering of the two families is reminiscent of the problems which is the whole tragedy of the story. It was the plot of the play. Can there be Blame? It was a number of misfortunes that rolled into the final event. If there was any into the series of events that I would have to consider pivotal in the deaths it would have to be the slipup of the messenger in not being able to deliver the message to Romeo. A passage in the play goes (Shakespeare): 20 Who bare my letter, then, to Romeo? FRIAR JOHN I could not send it,--here it is again,-- Nor get a messenger to bring it thee, So fearful were they of infection. 25 FRIAR LAURENCE Unhappy fortune! by my brotherhood, The letter was not nice but full of charge Of dear import, and the neglecting it May do much danger. When the message was not delivered to Romeo it was the culmination of the succeeding events. His ignorance of the fact that Juliet is not really dead aroused his emotions which led to his consequent suicide. Had he been informed that Juliet merely drank a potion but not poison then he would not have killed himself. In this case it would have to be in relation to the fault of Friar Laurence. The idea was set in motion by Father Laurence and therefore it is primarily his hand in the whole plan designed to ideally bring them back together. When he wed the two without the blessing of their families it was the start of the predicament escalating. He believed that by marrying the two he would be able to alleviate the two families’ war. ‘To turn your households rancour to pure love’ (Shakespeare, 115). He was helpless with the pleas of the couple. It was to their hearts desire that they be wed and there was little to nothing that could stop them from their union. Had it not been Father Laurence there might still be something else that would resort them to the measures that they would like to take together. Friar Laurence was disillusioned into thinking that the effects of the actions that he was arbitrary of will be positive. He was hopeful that when they see that the two are happy together then their love would be contagious to their families and they would be able to live together happily. This was also contributory to the expectant fairy tale love story that most would look forward to. It was also necessary for the build up of the tragedy. This was what was great about Shakespeare, his ability to let the readers to empathize with the characters in the stories that he writes. Shakespeare’s Tragedies His stories are so universal. The story contains elements that we see everyday. We know families fighting each other. We see them, we know them, and we might be one of them. We know young love. How it feels. How it directs people into thinking that there is no one else that is out there for you. That it is already the one what you want for life, as far as you know. And of course, unrequited love which seems like it is a force all on its own. It was something that is hard to deter. As it goes, the more that something is forbidden, the more that we yearn and crave for it because such actions allow us personal gratification. Romeo and Juliet were ruled by their emotions. They were unmindful of their families and the chaos that it would bring. This in effect also leads to the validation that they are also to blame for what happened. The murders that occurred were mainly due to their reckless actions. This was primarily blamed on their youth and being that they are irrational. They did not care what their decisions could do to their families. It makes them selfish in a way because they were thoughtless. Upon reading the play, it is apparent that the hatred between the two families is palpable. Yet we are not quite certain on the reason behind. This is caused by too much loathing that has cultivated for years. It is very much like fighting with someone and not exactly being able to pinpoint why the two of you are fighting. The abhorrence lingers and it is what remains. This proliferates until it goes beyond sensibility. In this case, couldn’t it be said that the older generations are much more to blame because of the ideals that they have let their children have against other people? To blame someone, to me, undermines the impact of the story. The point of allowing the reader to reconsider how we hold grudge into a point of callousness and lost of understanding is the devastation of the two lovers. It is more apt to call it a domino effect of faults, a series of faults that instigated one action to the next which concluded in a tragic ending for two young lovers. This is what we are left with, the feeling of lost. And this is where the beauty of tragedy lies. ‘Things do not happen because they are foretold, they are foretold because they will happen.’ It is fate, and fate, is out of our control. Read More