Friday, April 6, 2012

LA Notes-Romeo and Juliet

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare


Plot


-The Capulets and the Montagues are enemies; try to fight but broken up by Prince Escalus who threatens anyone who disturbs the peace in the future
-Romeo is in love with Rosaline, a girl who doesn't feel the same way
-Benvolio encourages Romeo to move on from Rosaline and find another girl
-Meanwhile, a young man named Paris is in love with Juliet; Juliet is bound to marry him in two years with her father's blessing
-Juliet's father plans a feast in which Romeo, Benvolio, Paris and Juliet will be present
-Juliet and Romeo meet eyes and get to talking; they instantly fall for each other and kiss despite not knowing each other's names
-when they come to find that they are kin to their family's enemy, they both become equally upset
-Romeo does not leave the Capulet home; he goes to find Juliet on a balcony and they confess their love for each other
-they secretly marry thanks to the help Friar Lawrence and the Nurse
-the next day, Tybalt (Juliet's cousin) is angry about Romeo attending the feat; challenges Romeo to a duel
-Mercutio ends up fighting Tybalt; when Romeo tries to stop it, Tybalt stabs Mercutio and he dies
-Romeo then kills Tybalt
-when Juliet finds out, she becomes upset but still wants to stay with her love, Romeo
-Romeo is vanished by Prince Escalus for his violent fighting
-Juliet's father sets up her marriage to Paris in three days; to escape the wedding, she plans to fake her death
-Juliet drinks the "poison" and becomes entombed
-Romeo hears the news that Juliet is dead; he buys deadly poison to kill himself so he doesn't have to live without her
-at the arrival of Romeo at the arrival of the Capulet tomb, he fights off and kills Paris, who is also there
-he then sees Juliet and drinks the poison to kill himself
-she awakes to find Romeo dead and kisses his lips to taste the poison; when that doesn't work, she takes his dagger and stabs through her heart
-the reader is informed that Lady Montague has died due to grief over her son
-the Capulets and Montagues agree to keep peace in Verona forever


Literary Devices


Diction/Syntax
-the entire play is written in Shakespeare's famous iambic pentameter
-the old English language adds to the setting of the story, making it known that this plot takes place in the 15th century


Double Entendre
-between the lines, there are many provocative jokes
-very dirty humor if the reader really looks into what the characters are saying


Foreshadowing
-the "star-crossed lovers" 
-the characters' thoughts of suicide from time to time
-the characters' thoughts on hope/hopelessness


Tone
-the tone ranges from time to time but it is always very dramatic
-at times, there is a lot of passion in the narration
-intense at all moments due to the tragedy genre


Theme
-how love can control life and the power of love
-fate is inevitable
-the choice between blood relation or true love


Symbols
-poison
-thumb biting
-"star crossed lovers"

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