Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet example essay topic

Apart from the two protagonists, the people of Verona, or rather those that Shakespeare has presented to us, may be arranged in two groups. The first of these, by far the larger, includes all the supernumeraries, such minor characters as Peter and the Apothecary, and a few relatively important figures like Tybalt, the Capulets, and the Nurse, Paris, and Benvolio. These are the static or "flat" characters, who are "by nature" what they are; and their functions are to present the limited range of values they embody and to make the plot go... The second group consists of three characters who give a doubly strong impression of life because they include among their qualities some degree of perception or understanding. Prince Escalus, slight as he is, is one of these, and Friar Lawrence another... Mercutio... is the third member of this more perceptive group...

Mercutio, in defense of both Romeo's honor and his person, picked up the challenge [issued by Tybalt] and would have killed Tybalt but for Romeo's intervention... Mercutio was on the point of bringing to pass what neither civil authority [Prince Escalus] nor well-intentioned but misplaced ingenuity [Friar Lawrence] had been able to accomplish, and Romeo with a single sentimental action... destroyed his only hope of averting tragedy long enough to achieve the maturity he needed in order to avoid it all together. (1 xxvii) Storytelling Output Report for "Romeo and Juliet" ANALYSIS INFORMATION: General Storytelling: Majority Complete Act Order Storytelling: Complete Character List: Complete with the exception of the following minor characters: Petruchio; Capulet's cousin, Peter, Paris' page, Citizens, Musicians, Watchmen, Chorus, Attendants, Maskers, Torchbearers, a Boy with a drum, Gentlemen, Gentlewomen, Tybalt's page. Build Characters: Partial Author: William Shakespeare Analysis sources: Shakespeare's principal source for the plot was The Tragic all History of Rome us and Juliet (1562), a long narrative poem by the English poet Arthur Broke or Brooke (d. 1563). Broke had based his poem on a French translation of a tale by an Italian writer, Matteo Band ello (1485-1561) (Merriam Webster 964).

ANALYSIS SOURCES: Bevington, David. Introduction. Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare.

Ed. David Bevington. New York: Bantam, 1988. xi-xxv. Bryant, J.A., Jr.

Introduction. Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare. Ed. J.A. Bryant, Jr. New York: Penguin, 1998. lx -l xxv. Charlton, H.B. Essay.

Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare. Ed. J.A. Bryant, Jr. New York: Penguin, 1998.144-159. Coleridge, Samuel Taylor.

Essay. Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare. Ed. J.A. Bryant, Jr. New York: Penguin, 1998.133-143. Drabble, M., ed.

The Oxford Companion to English Literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995. Gibbons, Brian. Introduction. Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare.

Ed. Brian Gibbons. York: Methuen, 1980.1-77. Johnson, Samuel. Essay. Romeo and Juliet.

By William Shakespeare. Ed. J.A. Bryant, Jr. New York: Penguin, 1998.131-32. Merriam-Webster's Encyclopedia of Literature. Springfield, Mass: Merriam Webster, 1995. Poster, Gail Kern.

Essay. "Romeo and Juliet: A Modern Perspective". Romeo and Juliet. By William Shakespeare. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine.

New York: Washington Square Press, 1992. Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Eds.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Ed. G. Carey. Lincoln: Cliffs Notes, 1979. Snyder, Susan. Essay. Romeo and Juliet.

By William Shakespeare. Ed. J.A. Bryant, Jr. New York: Penguin, 1998.171-186. Genre: Romance -- "Though a tragedy, Romeo and Juliet is in some ways more closely comparable to Shakespeare's romantic comedies... it revels in punning, metaphor, and wit combat" (Bevington ix). Setting: (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene) -- Verona, Italy Period: Late 1500's -- told over the course of four or five days. Analysis by: Katharine E. Monahan Huntley INFORMATION ABOUT THIS ANALYSIS: The text used for this analysis is The Folger Shakespeare Library edition of Romeo and Juliet -- second quarto, for the most part.

Comments: Coleridge's commentary about Shakespeare (although completely unintentional), relates to how Dramatica works so well with the Bard: "Shakespeare has this advantage over all other dramatists -- that he has availed himself of his psychological genius to develop all the minutiae of the human heart: showing us the thing that, to common observers, he seems solely intent upon, he makes visible what we should not otherwise have seen: just as, after looking at distant objects through a telescope, when we behold them subsequently with the naked eye, we see them with greater distinctness, and in more detail, than we should otherwise have done". (136-137) The "minutiae" of "Romeo and Juliet's" characters and their actions is accounted for in this Dramatica story form, and explicated in its analysis. Brief Synopsis: Two households, both alike in dignity (In fair Verona, where we lay our scene), From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean. From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life; Whose misadventure d piteous overthrows Doth with their death bury their parents's tribe.

(Partial Prologue) Overall Character Mini-Synopsis: According to Bryant: Apart from the two protagonists, the people of Verona, or rather those that Shakespeare has presented to us, may be arranged in two groups. (1 xxvii) Dramatis Personae Escalus, Prince of Verona Mercutio, a young gentleman and kinsman to the Prince, friend of Romeo. Paris, a noble young kinsman to the Prince. Page to Paris. Montague, head of a Veronese family at feud with the Capulets. Lady Montague.

Romeo, Montague's son. Benvolio, Montague's nephew and friend of Romeo and Mercutio. Abram, a servant to Montague. Balthasar, Romeo's servant.

Capulet, head of a Veronese family at feud with the Montague. Lady Capulet. Juliet, Capulet's daughter. Tybalt, Lady Capulet's nephew. Capulet's Cousin, an old gentleman. Nurse, a Capulet servant, Juliet's foster mother.

Peter, a Capulet servant attending on the Nurse. Of the Capulet household: Sampson, Gregory, Anthony, Potman, Serving men. Of the Franciscan Order: Friar Lawrence, Friar John, An Apothecary, of Mantua. Three Musicians.

Members of the Watch, Citizens of Verona, Masques, Torchbearers, Pages, Servants. Chorus. THE OVERALL CHARACTERS: Name: Romeo ID: Main Character Gender: Male Description: CAPULET "Young Romeo is it? (1.5. 72) He bears him like a portly gentleman, /And, to say truth, Verona brags of him / To be a virtuous and well-governed youth" (1.5.

75-77). Role: Lover Story Activities: "The sudden crisis [killing Tybalt] awakens primitive instincts which momentarily overwhelm his finer nature" (Gibbons 71). Background & Family History: "He appears to be in love with Rosa line; but, in truth, he is in love only with his own idea. He felt the necessity of being beloved which no noble mind can be without" (Coleridge 142). Character Type: Complex Characteristics: Motivation: Pursuit Purpose: Desire; Actuality; Self Aware Name: Juliet ID: Impact Character Gender: Female Description: "Youth, freshness, and vulnerable innocence" (Gibbons 40) Role: Object of Affection Character Type: Complex Characteristics: Motivation: Logic; Faith Purpose: Ability; Aware Name: Abram Gender: Male Role: Servant to Montague Name: Apothecary Gender: Male Description: "caitiff [miserable] wretch" Role: Medicine Man Name: Balthasar Gender: Male Description: Loyal to a fault Role: Romeo's serving man Character Type: Complex Characteristics: ROMEO AND JEWLIET.