Who does not know the saddest love story of Romeo and Juliet, invented by the great English playwright - the famous William Shakespeare? This play dates from the end of the 16th century. The reliability of this plot by researchers has not been established. However, the historical background and life motives in an Italian basis indicate that the Verona tragedy of lovers could well be real.
Romeo and Juliet: Contents
Shakespeare was familiar with such dramatic events before. He read something similar from other authors, but created his work in his own unique interpretation. The plot is straightforward. Two warring families - Montecchi and Capulet - constantly organize various quarrels and brawls. Once, the son of Montecca, Romeo, was walking along the square. The young man's thoughts were occupied by the impregnable beauty Rosalind. His friend Benvolio good-naturedly invites him to pay attention to other girls.
At the same time, Juliet Capulet, whose age is a little over thirteen years old, is obedient and serene. She lives in the parental home. Now they are discussing with their mother and nurse the news of the matchmaking of Count Paris to Juliet. Traditionally, the father arranges a carnival ball and invites the groom to him. Romeo sneaks into this party with his friends, dressed in carnival costumes.
Love
Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montecchi accidentally intersect. Love strikes their hearts with lightning speed. Juliet's cousin recognizes Romeo by voice. And in order not to make noise, he sends him out. But he, leaving his friends, is hiding in the garden under Juliet's balcony. A flutter of a worried girl leads her to the balcony. She repeats his name. And, lo and behold, he suddenly responds. They confess their love to each other and take an oath not to leave.
Monk Lorenzo agrees to secretly marry them. Soon a holy rite takes place: lovers are happy. Perhaps grief would have passed this couple. But the unexpected happens: a brawl takes place between the bully Tybalt (Juliet's cousin) and Romeo's friends. In the heat of the cousin of our heroine kills her lover's best friend - Mercutio. An embittered young man, in order to take revenge, throws himself with a sword at Tybalt and kills him.
Exile
Now Romeo faces the death penalty. But the prince of Verona condemns him to exile. The monk Lorenzo offers Romeo to hide from everyone for a while. Juliet Capulet suffers greatly. And her relatives decide to hurry up with the wedding. Lorenzo invites her to drink a miraculous potion, from which she will plunge into a deep sleep, like death. When she is buried in a crypt, Romeo will come for her. Then she wakes up, and together they will hide from prying eyes until better times. But Romeo did not receive a warning letter.
In the morning, relatives discover the girl is dead in a wedding outfit. She is buried in a family crypt. Upon learning of the death of his beloved, distraught from grief, Romeo hurries to her in the tomb. There he meets her fiancé Paris, with whom he enters into a duel and hits him with his sword. Romeo is left alone in front of Juliet's coffin and is surprised that she looks beautiful, like she is alive. Cursing all evil powers, he drinks poison.
Death
Lorenzo is late. He is no longer able to do anything. At the same time, Juliet wakes up from a dream and assures the monk that everything is fine with her. Lorenzo asks her to leave the crypt as soon as possible. She gets up and suddenly sees the deceased Romeo. Out of grief, the girl takes his dagger and thrusts it into his chest. Soon, dead bodies were discovered by their relatives. The monk Lorenzo told everything that happened to Romeo and Juliet. Montecchi and Capulet, having lost their beloved children, decided to put an end to hostility. On their grave, it was decided to put two golden statues.
Characteristic of juliet
As you can see, one of the main characters of the work is Juliet. Touching on her characteristics, we note that she is the only daughter in the Capulet family. This clan is in irreconcilable hostility with the Montecchi family. Juliet is a very young girl who does not know life. She was not yet fourteen years old. She is smart and very sweet. At the beginning of the work, she appears in the form of an obedient and humble daughter for her parents, who listens to their instructions and fulfills all requests.
Juliet Capulet changes dramatically after an unexpectedly erupted love for Romeo. She turns into a determined and fearless girl, ready for any sacrifice for the sake of her second half. She asks Romeo to swear love to her. Juliet is a decent and noble girl. Therefore, he wants to marry Romeo and then be a devoted wife. Knowing that their relatives would not approve of their marriage, she still decides to take this step. Even against all prohibitions and enmity. She tells Romeo about her strong love, after the wedding ceremony, she vows to put life at his feet and follow him even to the ends of the world.
Fatal love
Juliet is pure in soul. She gratefully perceives the concerns of her parents, who found her a worthy groom. But she fell in love with Romeo. To now, after a secret wedding, to avoid sin (marriage to Paris) and be with her beloved forever, the girl is ready for any dangerous actions. She says that she will do everything to stay true to her lover.
In Juliet's life there is no room for the assertion that Romeo is so obsessed with at the beginning of the play, in love with Rosalind. Since all the women in her house are subordinate to the will of her father, excluding any activity. Before meeting with Romeo, Juliet did not think about the causes of hostility between the clans. Montecchi were just enemies to her. But after awakening the feeling of love in her soul, the mind revives in her. She begins to ask herself questions: how to remain an obedient and loving daughter and at the same time be honest with her conscience?
Romeo and Juliet are people of their era. And therefore, they have no power to break out of her wild morals and prejudices. Let us recall at least the moment when Juliet, wanting to ward off trouble from Romeo, who escaped to Mantua, asks her mother, eager to poison Tybalt’s killer, to allow her to prepare a deadly potion. And her mother was not at all surprised that her daughter knew the recipes for preparing poisons. She does not condemn her desire to take revenge with the same cruelty as men of their kind.
Conclusion
Shakespeare loves his characters and treats them with paternal tenderness. The playwright sees through them and does not condemn their weaknesses. He hints that they, with their vices and shortcomings, are worthy of true love, because only a sincere and ardent feeling will exalt them above the imperfection of life. Love will save them from the evil that prevails in the world.