...Heroes & Villains in Literature The following essay is going to discuss and analyze heroes and villains in Literature. This essay is going to focus especially on three famous books written by William Shakespeare. The referring books are ‘Romeo and Juliet’, ‘Macbeth’ and ‘Othello’. In these three different novels, a great variety of stereotypes of heroes and villains can be appreciated. William Shakespeare was born on April 23rd 1564, in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. When he was four or five he began his education at the local petty school. He left the local grammar school when he was about fourteen and went to help in his father’s glove-making shop. When he was eighteen, he got married and by the time he was twenty-one, he was the father of three children. [1] At some time during the next seven years, he went to London and found employment in the theatre. When he was twenty-eight, he was already well enough known as an actor and playwright. He mostly lived and worked in London until his mid-forties, when he returned to his family and home in Stratford, where he remained in prosperous circumstances until his death on April 23rd 1616, his fifty-second birthday. [2] In the thirty seven plays that are his chief legacy to the world human nature is displayed in all its astonishing variety. [3] While Shakespeare caused much controversy, he also earned lavish praise and has profoundly impacted the world over in areas of literature, culture, art, theatre, and film and is considered...
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...In the play Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare explores the topic of femininity. The tragedy takes place during the fourteenth century in Verona, Italy. Society in Verona has clear beliefs and expectations for both males and females. Women are often regarded as inferior and weak whilst the men focus on violence and sexual domination, always expected to be prodigious and valiant. These stereotypical gender roles relate to main characters Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed lovers who are pressured into acting the way their gender is depicted throughout the play. In this text, Shakespeare asserts that acting feminine is seen as weak. Feminine characteristics are depicted in such a way because the Capulet servants talk about their...
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...Benvolio is to Blame! Someone has to be blamed for all 6 deaths in Romeo and Juliet. There are many people you can blame, but who is ultimately at fault? Benvolio’s name literally means ‘Peacemaker’; however, his name does not reflect on his behavior. He is to blame for all six of the deaths in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Here’s why. In Act Three, Romeo, Mercutio, Benvolio and Tybalt, Juliet’s cousin (appositive), were on the streets. Tybalt wanted to duel Romeo but Mercutio stepped in for his honor (prep. phrase). While Romeo was trying to stop the fight, “Noble Mercutio, put your sword away.”(III.i.50), what was the guy that’s name means “peacemaker” doing? Sitting back not trying to help Romeo stop the fight? This caused Mercutio’s...
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...tragic plays is Romeo and Juliet. Within this play Shakespeare takes characters, events and themes to model human behaviours. Within Act III, Scene I it displays both characters and events that demonstrate human behaviour. When Tybalt and Romeo quarrel and Romeo refuses to fight Tybalt, it all ends tragically with Tybalt slaying Mercutio. Within Act III, Scene I this is revealed by the way the characters are portrayed within the scene with the different personality types for each of the characters. Human behaviour is also modelled with the events that occur and who the characters react to the situations that occur within the scene. The themes of death and haste also occur within the Act III, Scene I and these themes which relate back to human behaviour in through the events and the way the characters react. Looking at characters, events and themes in depth the audience can see how within this tragic scene human behaviours are explored within the text. The characters within Romeo and Juliet all have completely different personality types. Mercutio is a believable character as he represents a care free character that is not afraid to do or say what he likes, in a way he just does not care what people think of him. In Act III, Scene I Benvolio warns that the Capulet’s are coming and that they should move off the street. Mercutio replies with “By my heel, I care not”, which means that he does not care they are coming. Later in the scene Tybalt and Mercutio are arguing about...
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...Throughout William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, characters demonstrate impetuosity in everyday actions, which ultimately lead to their demises. Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet are only some of the characters in the play that have an impulsiveness about them, yet they are some of the most important characters in moving the play towards its tragic ending. These characters also meet untimely deaths that are scattered throughout the play, which cause a domino effect that leads to the death of others. In this play, an ancient feud between the Montagues and Capulets cause Romeo, a Montague, and Juliet, a Capulet, to take drastic measures to preserve their love. The unnecessary hate between the Montagues and the Capulets cause the youth of the families to act in desperation. Particularly, Mercutio’s impulsive act of making jokes at inappropriate times led to the demise of characters in this play. When Tybalt is searching for...
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...Introduction Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy about two opposing families, the Capulets and the Montagues who are constantly feuding. Romeo and Juliet are two young lovers but they come from different families, Romeo is a Montague whilst Juliet is a Capulet. Although the most obvious theme in the play is love, there are several scenes which contain violence and conflict. The play opens with violence due to the conflict between the two feuding families and it is this conflict that ultimately results in the deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Examples Get help with your essay Read more about our Essay Writing Service > Looking for examples of OUR work? Click here to see our Essay Writing Examples > Want to know more about our services? Take a look at our Writing & Marking Service Index > Act III, scene 1 is a pivotal scene in Romeo and Juliet transforming the play from one of Romance into Tragedy. The scene opens on the streets of Verona and begins with talk of violence, ultimately leading to the deaths of two of the main characters in the play - Tybalt and Mercutio. Benvolio is eager to avoid a fight with the Capulets and he suggests to Mercutio that they should return home: ‘I pray thee, good Mercutio, let’s retire/ The day is hot, the Capels are abroad’ this quote is foreshadowing the fight to come between Tybalt and Mercutio, whose death at Tybalt's hands sets the stage for Romeo's eventual undoing and the deaths of the two lovers.In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare...
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...ROMEO AND JULIET Verona city in Italy is where the upsetting story of the unlucky love affair was set. Romeo a Montague and Juliet a Capulet are 'a pair of star crossed lovers who took their lives in an attempt to bury their parents strife'. The Montague's and the Capulet 'both alike in dignity,' were engaged in an ancient feud, which sadly nothing but the death of their children could stop. Romeo and Juliet two adaptations. Franco Zeffirelli [1968] Original version Baz Luhrmann [1996] Hollywood version Luhrmann chose Leonardo Di Caprio to play Romeo and Claire Danes as Juliet. * The updated Luhrmann picture best captures the essence of Shakespeare for the present-day viewer. Through the ingenious use of modernisation and location, while preserving Shakespearean language, the spirit of Shakespeare emerges to captivate a large audience. * Luhrmann modernises "Romeo and Juliet," through constant alterations of the props, which entice the audience into genuinely feeling the spirit of Shakespeare. * First, the movie starts with a prologue masked as news broadcast on television. This sets the scene of the play by illustrating the violence occurring between the two wealthy families, the Montagues and the Capulets. * In Luhrmann's film, the actors, instead of carrying swords with them, hide guns in their shirts and wield them expertly. * The death of Romeo and Juliet is (as always) blamed on the post office, for not delivering the letter properly...
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...would you do for love? Would you sacrifice your life for the people you love? “Romeo and Juliet” is a thrilling play that demonstrates both love and hate. Love and hate both come at a cost, whether you lose something you love or something happens that you hate. As Mohandas Gandhi said “Hatred always kills, love never dies.” The play Romeo and Juliet demonstrates and expresses 3 main points relating to this quote. Those main points are love, hate, and marriage. Romeo and Juliet is portrayed as a “love” story but Shakespeare sets it up as a pain and death story. Romeo is in love with a woman named Rosaline at the beginning of the play. Juliet has never thought about getting married before her mother brings up the idea of marrying Paris. Shakespeare has to set their tale as ill-fated at the beginning (as “two star-crossed lovers” ) not only because their families hate each other, but because they do not know anything about what true love really is or even what life is like in the real adult world. When Romeo first lays his eyes upon Juliet, he is overwhelmed by how beautiful she is. He immediately forgets about Rosaline and wants to meet Juliet. Romeo saw Juliet at a ball he never intended on going to. For a few days he kept to himself and was thinking about how much he loves Rosaline. Eventually, Romeos cousin Benvolio convinces him to go. Romeo thinks that there is no point to go but Benvolio tells him “At this same ancient feast of the Capulet's sups the fair Rosaline whom...
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...A TEACHER’S GUIDE TO THE SIGNET CLASSIC EDITION OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S ROMEO AND JULIET By ARTHEA J.S. REED, PH.D. S E R I E S W. GEIGER ELLIS, ED.D., E D I T O R S : UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA, EMERITUS and ARTHEA J. S. REED, PH.D., UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA, RETIRED A Teacher’s Guide to the Signet Classic Edition of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet 2 INTRODUCTION William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is an excellent introduction to Shakespearean drama; teenagers can relate to its plot, characters, and themes. The play’s action is easily understood, the character’s motives are clear, and many of the themes are as current today as they were in Shakespeare’s time. Therefore, it can be read on a variety of levels, allowing all students to enjoy it. Less able readers can experience the swash-buckling action and investigate the themes of parent-child conflict, sexuality, friendship, and suicide. Because of the play’s accessibility to teenagers, able readers can view the play from a more literary perspective, examining the themes of hostility ad its effect on the innocent, the use of deception and its consequences, and the effects of faulty decision making. They can study how the characters function within the drama and how Shakespeare uses language to develop plot, characters, and themes. The most able students can develop skills involved in literary criticism by delving into the play’s comic and tragic elements and its classically...
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...Romeo and Juliet: Who’s To Blame Imagine you lived in Shakespeare time where law and rules were taken seriously. Not think about someone being killed by another person, now think about the reasons they died, now would you say that that person can be blamed for their own death? In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Tybalt is the blame for his own death. This is because Tybalt challenged the duel, Tybalt went against a law, and Tybalt couldn’t control his own anger. Tybalt challenged a duel against Romeo and wanted to start a fight. In act one, Price had set laws and other things stating ‘no fighting’. Tybalt was also the blame for his own death because he was a very hot headed person. One way Tybalt is blamed for his own death is because he wrote a letter that was used to challenge a duel against Romeo. In Act 2 scene 4 (7-8), Benvolio says “Tybalt, the kinsman to old Capulet, Hath sent a letter to his father’s house” This is the part where Mercutio is informed by Benvolio about the letter being sent to Romeo from Tybalt to challenge the duel. A...
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...Romeo & Juliet (My naked weapon is out: quarrel, I will back thee” (Shakespeare Act I Scene i 32). In “Romeo and Juliet” by William Shakespeare it is how Romeo and Juliet fell in love and how they died for each other. In Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, Benvolio and Friar Lawrence should be pardoned and Lord Capulet should be punished. Benvolio should be pardoned because he is peaceful. He is peaceful when the families get in a fight in the town and he tries to stop the fight. Benvolio says this to Mercutio and Tybalt in the town where they fought. “We talk here in the public haunt of men./Either withdraw unto some private place,/Or reasons coldly of your grievances,/Or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us” (Shakespeare Act III Scene i 46-49)....
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...In William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet, the character that showed the most integrity was Benvolio. Persons who display integrity are honest, trustworthy, and responsible. Benvolio is all of these things. Throughout the entire play Benvolio demonstrated time and time again these qualities. He is truly a person who demonstrates integrity in everyday society. You may ask where is the proof that Benvolio has demonstrated honesty, yet it is as plain as day. Honesty is telling the whole truth in any situation. Benvolio will tell the truth even when trouble could brew because of it. One example is when Romeo’s parents inquired of his recent activities and Benvolio willingly told the truth and spoke of his cousin’s whereabouts and his actions at that location. Another example of this is after Romeo had just slain Tybalt, and then the Prince of Verona came, and he asked what did happen this night. “O noble prince, I can discover all the unlucky manage of this fatal brawl: There lies the man, slain by young Romeo, That slew thy kinsman, brave Mercutio.”(3/1/133 – 136) Benvolio told the prince of his cousin’s deeds even though Romeo could have been put to death for it. Even in the face of trouble Benvolio doesn’t shirk away from the truth. This dedication to honesty shows his integrity. Trustworthiness is the result of honesty. Benvolio was trusted by many characters and they confided in him as well. When Romeo confided the information of his love for Rosaline in Benvolio, he trusted...
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...This story of star-crossed lovers is one of William Shakespeare’s tenderest dramas. Shakespeare is sympathetic toward Romeo and Juliet, and in attributing their tragedy to fate, rather than to a flaw in their characters, he raises them to heights near perfection, as well as running the risk of creating pathos, not tragedy. They are both sincere, kind, brave, loyal, virtuous, and desperately in love, and their tragedy is greater because of their innocence. The feud between the lovers’ families represents the fate that Romeo and Juliet are powerless to overcome. The lines capture in poetry the youthful and simple passion that characterizes the play. One of the most popular plays of all time, Romeo and Juliet was Shakespeare’s second tragedy (after Titus Andronicus of 1594, a failure). Consequently, the play shows the sometimes artificial lyricism of early comedies such as Love’s Labour’s Lost 1594-1595, . 1598) and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (. 1595-1596, . 1600), while its character development predicts the direction of the playwright’s artistic maturity. In Shakespeare’s usual fashion, he based his story on sources that were well known in his day: Masuccio Salernitano’s Novellino (1475), William Painter’s The Palace of Pleasure (1566-1567), and, especially, Arthur Brooke’s poetic The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet (1562). Shakespeare reduces the time of the action from the months it takes in Brooke’s work to a few compact days. In addition to following the conventional...
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...every day. This was evident In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet as two unlucky characters were killed at the fault of someone else. In Romeo and Juliet by Shakespeare, Friar Laurence and the Nurse have similar roles in the story, yet one of them has a great impact on the story. Friar Laurence and the Nurse both play a substantial part in the marriage. The Friar agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet to end the feud between their families. The friar says to Romeo, “For this alliance may so happy prove / To turn your households rancor to pure love” (2.2.91-92). The quote demonstrates that the friar played a significant role in the story since he married the two main characters. The quote also proves...
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...comes an impulsive character, and in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet that character is Romeo. For example Romeo’s rash actions caused his own demise. Upon hearing about the death of Juliet, Romeo immediately started to make plans to commit suicide. If Romeo sits down and thinks about his actions instead of acting the way he does, then he will not die. Romeo’s impulsive behavior also had negative consequences on the lives of Mercutio, Tybalt, and Juliet. The ill-fated Mercutio is one of the people who suffered by Romeo’s impulsive decisions. It all started when Romeo and his friends decided to go and crash the Capulet’s party. While at the party Tybalt spotted Romeo. He is enraged. After the party had passed Tybalt challenges Romeo to a duel, but Romeo does not want to fight. Tybalt does not give up, he continues to insinuate a fight with Romeo, with little success. Then one day...
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