Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet - Love and
Happiness
Romeo and Juliet
Key characters
Romeo, a young man from Verona in Italy.
Juliet, a young lady.
Mercutio and Benvolio, Romeo’s friends.
Capulet, Juliet’s father.
Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin
The Nurse, Juliet’s nurse.
Friar Laurence, Franciscan monk.
Paris, a young nobleman.
Fun facts
- Re-written as the musical, West Side Story about the rival Hispanic and white gangs in
New York.
- Leonardo DiCaprio played Romeo in a 1996 film version, pictured
right below.
The story
Romeo (a member of the Montague
family from Verona, Italy) is in love with Juliet, whose
father is head of the rival Capulet family.
This rivalry threatens Romeo’s chances of winning her. But his cousin and friend, Benvolio,
persuades him that they and another friend, Mercutio, should attend a feast, hidden by
masks
The feast is organized by the Catuplets to attract Juliet to Paris, a young nobleman.
Romeo dumps his girlfriend, Rosaline, when he and Juliet instantly fall in love. But
Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin, is furious when he recognizes Romeo and his friends.
Juliet appears on her balcony above the orchard where Romeo is hiding to see her. They:
- exchange loving words (in the famous balcony scene).
- agree to marry as soon as possible.
(Ford Madox Brown's 1870 painting of the balcony scene is pictured right)
So Romeo arranges, through Juliet’s nurse, to be secretly married by Friar
Laurence.
Mercutio is killed by Tybalt and an enraged Romeo kills him. On hearing this the Prince of
Verona exiles Romeo who flees to nearby Mantua after spending a night with Juliet.
But then Lord Capulet, Juliet’s father, insists that Juliet must marry Paris.
The heartbroken girl agrees to Friar Laurence’s plan - promise to marry Paris but just before the wedding
take a drug which will put her into a death-like sleep. Then ,after she is laid in the family
tomb, she will awake and escape with Romeo.
But the Friar's letter, explaining the plan, never reaches Romeo before he hears that Juliet has died.
Heartbroken he rushes to Verona to Juliet’s tomb, where Paris is grieving. They fight, Paris is
killed and Romeo enters the tomb.
He finds the unconscious Juliet (Claire Dunes, pictured right in the 1996 film) and poisons
himself, believing her to be dead. Juliet:
- awakes and sees Romeo’s body.
The Prince of Verona thinks that the lovers’ deaths are punishment for the
feud between the two families, who therefore decide to make peace.
Lessons on love and happiness
1. Love
Romeo and Juliet is one of the greatest ever love stories.
They sacrifice their lives for their love, united by passion but divided by family feud.
In the famous balcony scene, Juliet (unaware that Romeo can hear her) implores him to overlook their family
differences and love her.
“O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if they wilt not,
be but sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet”, she says.
2. Passion isn’t enough
True love is more than just impulsive passion and infatuation.
Romeo shows his impulsiveness when he:
- dumps his first love, Rosaline (when he sees Juliet).
Realizing the murder’s disastrous consequences, he says;
“I am fortune’s fool”.
But the play also emphasizes the importance to successful relationships of:
Juliet is more mature than Romeo, despite only being two weeks away from her fourteenth
birthday at the beginning of the play.
In the balcony scene she tells him not to swear his love “by yonder blessed moon”, because the moon may be
Instead she emphasizes an ever growing and kind relationship.
“The more I give to thee the more I have, for both are infinite”, she says.
3. Communication matters
Romeo tragically:
- doesn’t hear about Friar Laurence’s plan.
- kills himself (thinking Juliet is dead).
4. Concentrate on what’s important
The love of Romeo and Juliet is the important thing, not the family feud that leads to:
“A plague o’ [on] both your houses [i.e.
families]”, says the dying Mercutio.
5. Don’t dream your life away
Wisdom and happiness come from reality not dreams which Mercutio says are
“thin of substance as the air”.
6. Fate can be fatal
In the play’s prologue the chorus describe Romeo and Juliet as “star-crossed
lovers”
In other words, their destiny is determined by fate (or circumstances beyond their
control).
7. Philosophy can help you in times of trouble
A troubled mind can be soothed by seeking and finding wisdom through philosophy (which Friar
Laurence tells Romeo is “adversity’s sweet milk”).
But Romeo ignores his advice, because he is so distraught about his exile away from Juliet.
“Hang up philosophy! Unless philosophy can make a Juliet”, he says.
Key quotes on love
O, Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name, or if they wilt not, be but
sworn my love, and I’ll no longer be a Capulet, Juliet (in the balcony scene).
When I die take him and cut him out in little stars, and he will make the face of heaven so fine that all the
world will be in love with night, Juliet (talking about Romeo on their wedding night).
Parting is such sweet sorrow, Juliet.
Key quotes on success
O fortune, fortune, all men call thee fickle, Juliet.
They stumble that run fast, Friar Laurence.
Key quotes on ethics
Tempt not a desperate man, Romeo.
Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied, and vice sometimes by action dignified, Friar
Laurence.
Key quote on
relationships
A plague o’ [on] both your houses, Mercutio.
Key quotes on stress and
pain
Adversity’s sweet milk, philosophy, Friar Laurence.
One pain is lessened by another’s anguish, Benvolio.
Key quote on
age
For you and I are past our dancing days, Lord Capulet.
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