What are the Causes of the Tragedy in Romeo and Juliet and how does Shakespeare Dramatize them?

Essay by sadeer February 2008

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� � � Romeo & Juliet Tragedy Essay

A Tragedy is a Play which Explores Human Weakness and Suffering, Leading to a Disastrous End. What are the Causes of the Tragedy in Romeo and Juliet and how does Shakespeare Dramatise them?

Tragedy is mainly two types, Modern tragedy and Greek tragedy. Greek tragedy is down to the idea of fate and the gods. A hero defies the gods, often due to fatal flaws which is the reason behind his downfall. In Shakespeare plays, tragedy is also identified as a story that ends unhappily due to the fall of the protagonist, which is the tragic hero. Romeo and Juliet is a lot related to the Greek tragedy with the characters having many fatal flaws such as rivalry and youth as well as cultural flaws.

Romeo and Juliet was written by William Shakespeare around 1595. This play has been written among many other tragedies by Shakespeare such as, "Macbeth" and "Hamlet".

However Romeo and Juliet is one of the most tragic Shakespeareans plays. In Shakespeare's other tragedies like "Macbeth" and "Hamlet", although those characters are fated to die, this type of tragedy is different, where Romeo and Juliet is the domestic type of tragedy, despite the fact that other characters influence the result of the final tragedy, however only few people are affected. Whereas, in the plays "Macbeth" and "Hamlet", the whole is affected by the outcome due to the political type of tragedy.

Tragedy has been used by Shakespeare to break down and end the rivalry and feud between the two families; Capulets and Montagues and also to bring an end to the play. Many tragedies have been presented in the play including Paris, Mercutio, Tybalt and the death of Romeo, Juliet and Lady Montague. These figures all lead on...