Romeo And Juliet: Theme Paper
In Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, violence plays an important part of the action and causes the deaths of several of the characters. And a theme of the play is violence begets violence. The chorus states "From ancient grudge break to new mutiny Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean." (Prologue lines 3 and 4). This tells us in the prologue that the feud has been going on for some time, the fighting has recently flared up and the civilians fighting each other.
The first fight takes place at the very beginning of the play in Act I, scene i . Gregory and Sampson of the Capulet house are the initiators of the brawl. As Abraham and Balthasar, servants to the Montagues, approach, the ...
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is foreshadowed when Benvolio says "Part, fools! Put up your swords; you know not what you do." (I, i, l60, 61). Benvolio draws his sword to beat down the weapons of the servants. This in turn causes more violence as Tybalt thinks Benvolio was involved in the fighting. Tybalt challenges Benvolio saying "What, drawn, and talk of peace! I hate the word, As I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee. Have at thee, coward!" (I, i, l66-68). Several citizens of the town join the fray. Soon town officers arrive and attack. When the Prince enters he says: "Three civil brawls, bred of an airy word, By thee, old Capulet and Montague, Have Thrice disturb'd the quiet of our streets And made Verona's ancient citizens Cast by their grave beseeming ornaments To wield old partisans, in hands as old, Canker'd with peace, to part your canker'd hate. If ever you disturb our streets again, Your lives shall pay the forfeit of the peace. " (I, i, l 85-94) From this passage we learn that there has also ...
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since the Capulet's party (II, iv, l 3). Benvolio says "Tybalt, the kinsman to old Capulet, Hath sent a letter to his father's house." (II, iv, l 6, 7). Tybalt has apparently sent the challenge because he is angry at the Montagues in general after the fight and particularly mad at Romeo because Romeo attended the Capulet party.
After Romeo and Juliet are secretly married, Mercutio, Benvolio, a page and servants are in the streets talking. Benvolio foreshadows a fight with the Capulets when he says:
"I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire.
The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,
And, if we meet, we shall not 'scape a brawl,
For now these hot days is the mad blood stirring." (III, i, l ...
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Romeo And Juliet: Theme Paper. (2005, August 13). Retrieved April 26, 2024, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Romeo-And-Juliet-Theme-Paper/31629
"Romeo And Juliet: Theme Paper." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 13 Aug. 2005. Web. 26 Apr. 2024. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Romeo-And-Juliet-Theme-Paper/31629>
"Romeo And Juliet: Theme Paper." Essayworld.com. August 13, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Romeo-And-Juliet-Theme-Paper/31629.
"Romeo And Juliet: Theme Paper." Essayworld.com. August 13, 2005. Accessed April 26, 2024. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/Romeo-And-Juliet-Theme-Paper/31629.
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