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Romeo and Juliet, Themes - Coggle Diagram
Romeo and Juliet
Context
The play is set in Northern Italy, Verona and in the 16th Century
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The accuracy of the text did not concern the audience as travelling was very limited - neither Shakespeare or his audience would've been to Italy
The audience would've appreciated the symbolism and imagery that Shakespeare creates using certain objects
For example in Act 3 Scene 5, after Juliet and Romeo spent their wedding night together, Juliet says " Nightly she sings on yond pomegranate tree"
The pomegranate tree is used to represent, innocence and beauty + it's bright red colour is used to reflect the passion of Romeo and Juliet's marriage
King Henry VIII apparently planted the first pomegranate tree in England to celebrate his marriage to his first wife
- The fact that his first wife doesn't produce a son for Henry
- The pomergrante tree wouldn't have lasted long :
- forshadows that there will be trouble ahead for the lovers
Some Critics believe that Shakespeare added the chorus to please those who may have read ancient Greek plays
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Characters
Friar Lawrence
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"Wisely and slow, they stumble that run fast" (ACT 2 Sc.3)
- Links to Romeo's rash and fickle emotion - could be his hamartia
- Romeo doesn't think about the consequences of his actions - in regards to killing Tybalt
Juxtaposition between "Wisely", "Stumble" and "Slow", "Fast" : could represents the contrast between how a relationship is meant to be compared to Romeo and Juliet's
- Could also portray the difference in the way Friar Lawrence and Romeo think + Priests/Monks were also seen as extremely wise and holy
- Also could be referring to how Romeo ends up killing himself as soon as he found out Juliet was 'dead' - If he had waited a while longer it might not have been a tragedy
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- Foreshadows Romeo and Juliet's death - They rush to get married
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Manipulative
"Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, and vice sometime by action dignified" (ACT 2 Sc.3)
- Basically, Friar says that a good thing goes bad if it is misapplies or misused but it also means that a bad action goes good if it is correct
- This creates a sinister tone - implies that Friar Lawrence believes that bad actions can result in the better good for others - implies that something bad will happen
- It also implies that the Friar doesn't believe in Fate ; believes that we can change and set our lives out for the better
- Intersting as Christianity believes that there is a God above who has made a plan of our lives - fate exists
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Also links to the Friars actions of allowing Romeo to rush into marriage that he believes doesn't contain true love - to mend the broken relationship between the capulets and montagues
He views his garden as a microcosm of their world, that everything can be manipulated in the way you want it to be
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Themes
Fate
"I defy you, stars" (ACT 5 Sc.1)
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could imply that Romeo is attempting to go against fate's will
- might see it as fate's attempt of trying to separate Juliet from him, so he believes that killing himself he will be able to die and meet Juliet
- This is extremely disheartening for the audience to watch as we know that Juliet is actually alive + we hope Romeo's rash emotions won't take over him
- For many Christians, they would be sad to hear this because they believe that killing yourself is actually a sin - so even if Juliet had died a natural death they technically wouldn't meet
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