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The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet

Decent Essays

In William Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare presents characters in difficult situations in Romeo and Juliet through various language techniques and structure. Romeo and Juliet were star-crossed lovers. Both Romeo and Juliet were from feuding families that would not approve of their marriage. In the play they are presented with many difficult circumstances. The play was set in the Elizabethan era; there was a significant change in religion, family and politics. Attitudes and key scenes highlight the theme of love in difficult circumstances and prepare the audience for Romeo and Juliet’s suicides at the end of the play. In this essay I will be exploring the ways Shakespeare presents characters in difficult situations. In Act 1 Scene 1 Shakespeare presents Romeo as a depressed teenager that faces a difficult situation when Rosaline rejects Romeo’s love for her. This is because Rosaline is determined to a virgin until she dies; we find this out when Benvolio (Romeo’s cousin) asks Romeo “Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?” The word “still” implies that the decision to live chastely was in existence before Romeo tried to change her mind. For that reason Romeo becomes depressed and isolates himself from family and friends this is illustrated when Romeo’s father Montague complains “private in his chamber pens himself, Shut up his windows, Locks fair daylight out.” This implies that Romeo thinks that the best solution to this situation is to deal

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