The tragedy of romeo and juliet

Mrs. Hanan-West

English I

4/21/04

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Between 1595 and 1596, William Shakespeare wrote Romeo and Juliet, Which is set in Verona, Italy. In that place there is two young teenagers who were destined to fall in love. But since they came from two different families it caused a lot of drama. For example, When Lord Capulet told Juliet that she will marry Paris, but unknowing to him Juliet was already married to Romeo. So she had to figure out weather to stay with Romeo or marry Paris. This is why this play is a great example of a tragedy. A tragedy is defined as a serious drama typically describing a conflict between the protagonist and a superior force such as fate and having a disastrous conclusion that excites pity or terror. But not all plays with a death in it is a tragedy, it must have certain elements.

Mass-produced colour photolithography on paper for...

Romeo and Juliet, Act I-Scene_3. Lady Capulet and ...

English: Title page of the second quarto edition (...

Romeo and Juliet have those- elements to become a true tragedy. The elements are the play must have an extraordinary hero or heroine, and the hero must be destroyed, and the death must serve a purpose.

A tragedy must have an extraordinary hero or heroine. Romeo and Juliet have those qualities. For example, Romeo was prepared to take risky steps to preserve their love. One risky step he did was when he was in the Capulet's Vaults with Juliet. "For fear of that I will stay with thee, / And never from this palace of dim night."(V, iii, 107,108). This quote means that he was willing to stay with Juliet even though the Capulets might find him here. That was a risk he wanted to take. Juliet also took a risk to preserve their love by choosing her life instead of marrying Paris and betraying her wedding...