The out come of the play was Romeo and Juliet both killed themselves. This shows the society of the time was very different to ours, they got married and had chrildren at a young age and believed in fate and fortune telling. The events in the play would be viewed in different ways now-a- days. I will be looking at the play in its social, cultural and historical context.
The Capulets and Montagues are in the street fighting in act one scene one. Sampson starts the fight by saying
“I will bit my thumb at them”.which was an insult in those days Benvolio tries to stop it and says “I do but keep the peace” but Tybalt wants the fight to keep going and says “Turn thee Benvolio look upon thy death”. Tybalts words are particulary significant in this scene. He is very angry and he can’t back down or people will think he is weak. He tells Benvolio “What, drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word,
as I hate the word,
As I hate, all montagues, and thee
have at thee coward”.
Prince Escalies is tired of all the fighting and says from those bloody hands
throw your mistempered weapons to the ground.”
later at the capulet’s party, Tybalt wants to keep the feud going when he realises Romeo is there. He says
“it fits when such villian is a guest” but his uncle, Capulet, wants him to foget it and not fight in his house,
” I would not for the wealth of all this town
Here in my house do him disparagement.”
in the society of that time, the adults fought with swords but these days they settle arguments in an orderly manner by talking. When alchol is involved men sometimes fight nowadays men don’t fight for the honour of their families liked they used to.
Paris is asking Capulet if he can marry Juliet but
The feud is the main reason that Romeo and Juliet can’t br together however, Juliets parents also put a lot of pressure on her to maeey paris. In those days, a girl’s father chose who she could marry. Capulet tells
paris she is too young and he must wait two years. Capulet, as a farther, is very protective over Juliet and he doesn’t want to lose his little girl. He tells paris,
“My child is yet a stranger in the world
She hath not seen the change of fourteen years”. This suggets that in Shakespears time women obeyed the men Paris asks Capulet if he can marry Juliet rather than asking Juliet herself which shows capulet makes the decision. And did what the men told them to do.
Juliets mother thinks she should marry Paris because there are alot of women Juliets age who are already married.
Lady Capulet tells Juliet “younger than you
Here in Verona, ladies of esteem,
Are made already mothers”.
Juliet says she will look at Paris but that’s only because her father wants her too. She tells lady Capulet
“I’ll look to like, if looking move;
But no more deep will i endart mine eye
Than your consent gives strength to make it fly”.
In act three scene four, Capulet tells Paris that Juliet will definitely marry him, ” I think she will be ruled in all respects by me; nay more, I doubt it not”. Capulet want’s the wedding so soon because Paris is related to Prince Escales so Capulet won’t get in as much trouble if a fight beaks out. In the society of this time, women obey the men. Capulet orders lady Capulet, “wife, go you to her ere you go to bed,
Acquaint her here of my son Paris’ love,”
In act three scene five, when Juliet refuses to marry Paris, Capulet loses his temper with her.
He is shouting at Juliet he wishes she was dead and is realy angry at Juliet. Capulet wants to hit Juliet and tells her
“My fingers itch.”
In the previous scenes he was really kind but now he is infuriated with Juliet. The men in Shakespear’s time have no respect for women, they tell them what to do and use them as slaves.
If Juliet’s parents had put less pressure on her to marry paris she may not have felt she needed to kill herself to be with romeo. now-a-days, young women have much more say in who they marry and parents don’t choose husbands for them.
Another reason romeo and Juliet end up dead is because of the bad advice given by Frair Lawerence and the nurse.
Frair Lawerence only agrees to marry them because he thinks it will stop the feud
“For this alliance may so happy prove
To turn your households rancour to pure love”.
when Romeo is banished for killing Tyblt, Juliet goes to the Friar for help.
He say he will give Juliet a sleeping potion so every one will think she is dead, WJuliet awakes she and When Juliet awakes she and Romeo can run away together. The friar’ was many things, he was a doctor, teacher, monk, counsellor.
Romeo and Juliet would have trusted and respected the Friar. They would have thought he knew what was best. If the friar had refused to marry them they nurse also gives bad advice.
She is significant because she is the one who sets up the wedding between Romeo & Juliet she encourges Juliet to marry Romeo. But later she tells Juliet to marry Paris and forget Romeo. This is revelant to the society of the time because people didn’t always marry because they loved each other but because they got told to. Romeo and Juliet are very young to be getting married Romeo is about eighteen Julietis thirteen Capulet tells paris
“she hath not seen the change of fourteen years”. Romeo is very immature when he is told he is banished than killed He says “ha ,banishment? be merciful, say death:”. friar Lawerence is much more mature because he says ” a gentler judgement vanished from his lips:
not bodies death, but body’s banishment.
” Romeo and Juliet both say they will kill themselves, Juliet says
“If all fails, myself have the power to die.” and Romeo says “”ha ,banishment? be merciful, say death:”.
I think they are young and naive and don’t understand there are plently more people out there they are bound to like more,
The society of the time effects the outcome because parents had much more control over their chrildren n the chrildren where married even if they were not in love.
In shakespeare’s time, people believed in fate and the idea that no one could stop what was meant to happen fate is first mentioned in the prologue where Romeo and Juliet are called ” A pair of star crossed lovers.”
Romeo thinks the day Mercutio died it was an unlucky day, he says “This day’s black fate” and “O, i am fortunes fool”. Also Romeo didn’t get Friar Lawerences letter so when he went back for Juliet he thought she was really dead and he kills himself. Friar Lawerence thinks, God has stopped the plan from working.
I don’t think the outcome of the play was due to fate.
i think it was the foolish plans. The most significant factor to the outcome was the feud If the families got alonge they could have been together. Fate played the lesser parts because now-a-days we don’t believe in fate.
