Romeo and Juliet’s affair: success or failure

Topic: Romeo and Juliet’s affair: success or failure? --------(((-------- I. INTRODUCTION: 1. Social background: There was a development of capitalist relation in Europe in the15th -16th centuries. The former townspeople became the bourgeoisie who fought against feudalism because help back the development of capitalism. It was then that great geographical discoveries of Columbus, Magellan and other travelers as well as astronomical discoveries of Copernicus, Bruno were made. Universities stopped being citadels of religious learning and turned into centers of humanist study. The development of a new class of the bourgeoisie, social order presented possibilities for man’s creative for man power. The power of church in man’s mind was defeated 2. Historical background: There were 6 Kings during the Renaissance (1485- 1625): ( Henry VII: after “the war of Roses”, Henry was able to build a new nation-state and laid the foundations for one of the most fruitful periods in English history. ( Henry VIII: he closed these religious institutions and confiscated their riches, distributing their lands among other landowners and merchants. ( Edward VI: he was too young to reign when Henry died so the country was governed by a council, composed of members of the new nobility created by the Tudor. ( Mary Tudor: she was inflexible and imprudent. She died in 1558. ( Elizabeth I: she was a force for peace, for reconciliation, and for prosperity ( James I: He tried to rule without Parliament as much as possible and was a firm believer in the Divine Right of Kings. The quarrels about money continued until his death in 1625. 3. Literary background: There was a revival of interest in the ancient culture of Greece and Rome (“Renaissance” is French for “rebirth”). The progressive ideology of Renaissance was humanism. Human’s life, the happiness of people and the belief in man’s abilities became the main subjects in fine art and literature. English humanists dreams of social changes that would do away with the vice of society and establish the equality of people. English humanism was both anti-feudal and anti-bourgeois. It falls into three periods: + Early Renaissance (15th century): This period witnessed the introduction of humanism as the pivotal philosophy of the Renaissance into England. + Renaissance peak (16th century) People saw the flourishing of the English drama. Theatres become a favorite amusement of people. One of the most outstanding dramatist of the period, as well as of all time, was Shakespeare + Late Renaissance (beginning of the 17th century- middle of the 17th century): English Renaissance was on the decline, and the English Bourgeoisie Revolution broke out. 4. Background of the author: William Shakespeare William Shakespeare was born in late April 1564 in Stratford-Avon. It is generally accepted that he attended the King’s New School, the Stratford grammar school known for its classical curriculum, because of his knowledge of Latin classics and written scenes recalling grammar school experiences such as exercise memorized by schoolboys. It is known for certain that at age 18, he marries Anne Hathaway with whom he had 3 children. Susanna was born May 26, 1583 and the twins, Judith and Hamlet, were born February 2, 1585. It is not known for sure how he supported his family or where they lived but the early 1590’s, he was established in London as both an actor and playwright. In 1613, Shakespeare left London and returned to his native town of Stratford- upon- Avon. Three year later, on April 23, 1616, he died and was buried there. Shakespeare is the author of 2 poems, 37 plays and 154 sonnets. His works are divided in to three periods: *The first period (1590-1660) was marked by optimism so characteristic of all humanist literature. It is the best reflected in his brilliant comedies and historical chronicles, in characteristics of all humanist literature. His typical comedies: The Comedies of Errors (1592), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1594) etc. The comedies describe the adventures of young men and woman, their friendship and love, their search for happiness. They are filled with humanist love for people and their belief in the nobleness and kindness of human nature. Historical chronicles: King Henry VI (part II – 1590), The tragedy of King Richard II (1592) etc…They was written on subjects from national history. One of the great achievements of Shakespeare was that in his chronicles he shown not only the King, feudal, and churchmen, the lower classes too *The second period( 1601-1608): The main works written by Shakespeare are Tragedies such as Romeo and Juliet (in the 90s), Hamlet (1601), King Lear(1605).These works reflect unsolvable contradictions of life, the falsehood injustice and tyranny existing in society. *The plays of the third period (1609 – 1612) are different from everything written by Shakespeare before. The playwright still touches upon important social and moral problems, but suggests utopian solution to them. His works in this period include romantic and fantastic elements: Cymbeline (1609), The Winter’s Tale (1610) II. DEVELOPMENT: ROMEO AND JULIET’S AFFAIR: SUCCESS OR FAILURE? 1. Solution of the dichotomy Double suicide. At the end of act IV, after Romeo and Juliet have taken their farewell and Juliet’s (second) marriage has been appointed, the situation seems hopeless. Act III concludes with a soliloquy by Juliet, in which she mentions the possibility of suicide. I’ll to the Friar to know his remedy If all else fail, myself have power to die There are lots of others passages which point to Romeo and Juliet’s final death. In the Prologue the Chorus already announces “their death” and “their death-marked love”. The Friar also anticipates the cruel end of their love when he warns “These violent things have violent ends”. Shortly before Romeo and Juliet are married Romeo says But come what sorrow can, It cannot countervail the exchange of joy That one short minute gives me in her sight Basically, he has reached what he has described as his utmost fulfillment. “It is enough I may but call her mine”. In chapter 3, I explained that the love of Romeo and Juliet appears as an attempt. But are we to evaluate their love as a success, as a successful attempt? Or are does their death show that their love was a failure? Though the circumstances which led to the death at the end of act V were coincidence to a large extent, both their deaths are suicide, committed through their own decision. They both prefer death to a living without each other. Romeo hears about the false message of Juliet’s death in V.i. His reaction is immediate and resolute: “Then I defy you, star”. His man Balthazar unwittingly has the correct suggestion: “I do beseech you sir, have patience”. But Romeo’s decision has been made; through he has not got any affirmation of Juliet’s death. “Hast thou no letters to me from the Friar? […] No matter.”. After that, he concludes to kill himself in Juliet’s tomb. When Juliet awakes from her pretended “death”, she finds Romeo dead and also kills herself. 1.2. Reconciliation To Romeo, this double suicide is a kind of everlasting reconciliation. Well, Juliet, I will lie with thee tonight […] O here will I set up my everlasting rest. As we have seen in chapter 2.3. and 3.1.1., the real world does not provide any room for the realization of their love. Romeo regards death as the only place for it. In Juliet’s speeches we do not find any explicit hint that she regards death as reconciliation, as a fulfillment Scholar have discussed the question whether the end of Romeo and Juliet belongs to the motif of “Liebestod”, like the conclusion of Antony and Cleopatra, for example. Hillgärtner stresses the bad influence of society on Romeo and Juliet’s love. "Vordergründig werden Romeo Und Juliet das Opfer der besonderen Bedingungen. Tatsächlich gehen sie an den allgemeinen Verhältnissen zugrunde”. To him, death is the place where mischievous society has no influence. Der Tod “ist das Ort- und Zeitlose Nirgendwo der immerwährenden Vereinigung, in der die absolute Liebe ihre utopische Zuflucht hat". However the death of Romeo and Juliet brings about reconciliation of the families, as the Prologue has announced. And the continuance of their parents' rage, Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove They have been “tempering extremities with extreme sweet". Love: The intersection of responsibility and doom We have now investigated how the play presents the development of Romeo and Juliet's love and the situation in which it happens. To retune to the question of chapter one, I will now collect the main aspects given by this interpretation. 2.1. Responsibility and doom We have seen that Romeo and Juliet's decisions and actions play an important role in the play. It is them who manage to start a relationship, it is Romeo who kills Tybalt and therefore is banished, it is them who commit suicide and so on. Romeo's lack of experience to cope with the situations in which he finds himself is repeatedly shown in the play (cf. 3.1.2., 3.2.3.). But they are also always haunted by coincidence and the social conditions: Their families have been quarrelling for decades, Mercutio is killed because Romeo interferes in the wrong moment, the message of Friar Laurence does not reach Romeo, Juliet awakes only a minute too late and so on. 2.2. The force of Fortune, Love and Death One could regard these influences as malevolent forces counteracting the ideal of love. But in contrast to Greek tragedy, in Romeo and Juliet there are no personified allegorical characters like "Fortune" or "Death". "Liebe, Fortuna und Tod sind nicht mehr personifizierte Abstrakta, allegorische Rahmenfiguren, sondern dämonische Mächte, die den Ablauf von Entwicklungen beherrschen und sich in menschlichem Handeln verwirklichen". So it is not a question of either determination or responsibility, but their love is constituted by both. "This play is not simply a moving tale of Liebestod; it is based on more than a romantic death-wish: to love is to be responsible". The sequence of events shows that in their love responsibility and doom concur. "Das bedeutet, daß Determination und Verantwortung viel enger verknüpft sind, ja in den menschlichen Entscheidungen zusammenfallen" 2.3. The love of Romeo and Juliet As Romeo and Juliet do not only appear as victims of doom, but also as acting and responsible subjects, the play is not a mere show of "Liebesstimmung" and "romantischem Zauber". Romeo and Juliet are a couple driven by ordinary desires, though their love is not "essentially domestic and sexual", because they undertake a dangerous great attempt to make love conquer hate. "At the centre of their experience is the paradoxes that only through the body can the limits of the body and the self be transcended. Now it becomes clear that not an ideal of love, a "love concept" in that sense is the centre of Shakespeare's play, but the individual progress of Romeo and Juliet's love. The play does not primarily provide a didactic message but only shows how Love and Fortune lead Romeo and Juliet to death. "The point of the play [...] is not how such a love can arise out of hatred and then triumph over it in death, but that it does". Therefore, though Romeo and Juliet are responsible for their deeds, their love is not a question of guilt. "An die Stelle eines möglichen Schuldmoments tritt die Würde des großen Versuchs". "Nowhere in this play is it suggested that damnation lies in wait for the lovers. The audience is likely to feel that Romeo and Juliet had dared greatly The plot shows that Fortune and Death are powers who take place in the individual deeds of Romeo and Juliet. As love is the motif for their important decisions in the play, the power of love also belongs to these forces, it is even the central power. least try to defy their fortune, it was a great success for the power of love III. CONCLUSION: As Romeo and Juliet do not only appear as victims of doom, but also as acting and responsible subjects, the play is not a mere show of "Liebesstimmung" and "romantischem Zauber". Romeo and Juliet are a couple driven by ordinary desires, though their love is not "essentially domestic and sexual", because they undertake a dangerous great attempt to make love conquer hate. "At the centre of their experience is the paradoxes that only through the body can the limits of the body and the self be transcended. The plot shows that Fortune and Death are powers who take place in the individual deeds of Romeo and Juliet. As love is the motif for their important decisions in the play, the power of love also belongs to these forces, it is even the central power. From the world's point of view their love failed, but as Romeo and Juliet at least try to defy their fortune, it was a great success for the power of love.