Romeo-and-Juliet英国文学

RomeoandJulietIntroduction•RomeoandJulietisatragedywrittenbyWilliamShakespeareearlyinhiscareeraround1597.ItwasamongShakespeare'smostpopularplaysduringhislifetime,andalongwithHamlet,isoneofhismostfrequentlyperformedplays.Background•Shakespeare'sprimaryinspirationwasbasedonapoembyArthurBrooke:TheTragicallHistoryofRomeusandJuliet(1562).ManyofthedetailsofShakespeare’splotarelifteddirectlyfromBrooks’spoem,includingthemeetingofRomeoandJulietattheball,theirsecretmarriage,thesleepingpotion,andthetimingofthelover’seventualsuicides.Shakespeareuseshispoeticdramaticstructure,suchasswitchingbetweencomedyandtragedytoheightentension,hisexpansionofminorcharacters,andhisuseofsub-plotstoembellishthestory.Also,Shakespeareusesavarietyofpoeticformsthroughouttheplay.Hebeginswitha14-lineprologueintheformofaShakespeareansonnet.BackgroundOntlineMainCharactersPlotOverviewMainideaoftheActIIScene2PlotMainCharactersRomeoThesonandheirofMontagueandLadyMontague.Ayoungmanofaboutsixteen,Romeoishandsome,intelligent,andsensitive.Thoughimpulsiveandimmature,hisidealismandpassionmakehimanextremelylikablecharacter.HelivesinthemiddleofaviolentfeudbetweenhisfamilyandtheCapulets,butheisnotatallinterestedinviolence.Hisonlyinterestislove.AtthebeginningoftheplayheismadlyinlovewithawomannamedRosaline,buttheinstanthelayseyesonJuliet,hefallsinlovewithherandforgetsRosaline.Thus,ShakespearegivesuseveryreasontoquestionhowrealRomeo’snewloveis,butRomeogoestoextremestoprovetheseriousnessofhisfeelings.HesecretlymarriesJuliet,thedaughterofhisfather’sworstenemy;hehappilytakesabusefromTybalt;andhewouldratherdiethanlivewithouthisbeloved.RomeoisalsoanaffectionateanddevotedfriendtohisrelativeBenvolio,Mercutio,andFriarLawrence.MainCharactersJulietThedaughterofCapuletandLadyCapulet.Abeautifulthirteen-year-oldgirl,Julietbeginstheplayasanaïvechildwhohasthoughtlittleaboutloveandmarriage,butshegrowsupquicklyuponfallinginlovewithRomeo,thesonofherfamily’sgreatenemy.Becausesheisagirlinanaristocraticfamily,shehasnoneofthefreedomRomeohastoroamaroundthecity,climboverwallsinthemiddleofthenight,orgetintoswordfights.Nevertheless,sheshowsamazingcourageintrustingherentirelifeandfuturetoRomeo,evenrefusingtobelievetheworstreportsabouthimafterhegetsinvolvedinafightwithhercousin.Juliet’sclosestfriendandconfidantishernurse,thoughshe’swillingtoshuttheNurseoutofherlifethemomenttheNurseturnsagainstRomeo.MainCharactersFriarLawrenceAFranciscanfriar,friendtobothRomeoandJuliet.Kind,civic-minded,aproponentofmoderation,andalwaysreadywithaplan,FriarLawrencesecretlymarriestheimpassionedloversinhopesthattheunionmighteventuallybringpeacetoVerona.AswellasbeingaCatholicholyman,FriarLawrenceisalsoanexpertintheuseofseeminglymysticalpotionsandherbs.MercutioAkinsmantothePrince,andRomeo’sclosefriend.OneofthemostextraordinarycharactersinallofShakespeare’splays,Mercutiooverflowswithimagination,wit,and,attimes,astrange,bitingsatireandbroodingfervor.Mercutioloveswordplay,especiallysexualdoubleentendres.Hecanbequitehotheaded,andhatespeoplewhoareaffected,pretentious,orobsessedwiththelatestfashions.HefindsRomeo’sromanticizedideasaboutlovetiresome,andtriestoconvinceRomeotoviewloveasasimplematterofsexualappetite.MainCharactersTheNurseJuliet’snurse,thewomanwhobreast-fedJulietwhenshewasababyandhascaredforJulietherentirelife.Avulgar,long-winded,andsentimentalcharacter,theNurseprovidescomicreliefwithherfrequentlyinappropriateremarksandspeeches.But,untiladisagreementneartheplay’send,theNurseisJuliet’sfaithfulconfidanteandloyalintermediaryinJuliet’saffairwithRomeo.SheprovidesacontrastwithJuliet,giventhatherviewofloveisearthyandsexual,whereasJulietisidealisticandintense.TheNursebelievesinloveandwantsJuliettohaveanice-lookinghusband,buttheideathatJulietwouldwanttosacrificeherselfforloveisincomprehensibletoher.TybaltACapulet,Juliet’scousinonhermother’sside.Vain,fashionable,supremelyawareofcourtesyandthelackofit,hebecomesaggressive,violent,andquicktodrawhisswordwhenhefeelshispridehasbeeninjured.Oncedrawn,hisswordissomethingtobefeared.HeloathesMontagues.PlotOverviewThestorytakesplaceinVerona,Italy.Twonoblefamilies,theMontaguesandCapulets,hateeachotherandarefeuding.PlotOverviewAnobleman,Paris,wantstomarryJulietCapulet,thebeautifuldaughterofthefamily.Herfathertellshimtocometoapartyheisplanningthatnightsohecanmeether.Romeo,thesonoftheMontaguefamily,alsogoestotheparty.Heisindisguisesononeofhisenemieswillrecognizehim.Attheparty,hemeetsJuliet.Itisloveatfirstsight,andtheyspendthenightdancingandtalking.PlotOverviewThetwoyoungloversdecidetomarryinsecret.RomeohurriestoseehisfriendandconfessorFriarLawrence,who,thoughshockedatthesuddenturnofRomeo’sheart,agreestomarrytheyoungloversinsecretsinceheseesintheirlovethepossibilityofendingtheage-oldfeudbetweenCapuletandMontague.Thefollowingday,RomeoandJulietmeetatFriarLawrence’scellandaremarried.TheNurse,whoisprivytothesecret,procuresaladder,whichRomeowillusetoclimbintoJuliet’swindowfortheirweddingnight.PlotOverviewHowever,thereisafightbetweenTybalt,-Juliet’scousinandRomeo’sbestfriend,Mercutio.T