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Mentality In Romeo And Juliet

Decent Essays

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is a classical play of two ill-fated lovers conflicted and obstructed by their rival families’ never ending feud. Throughout the play, ethically absent Romeo heightens tensions between the families when wooing ignorant Juliet into their disastrous destiny together. Despite having their struggles being at the fault of their own stupidity, Romeo and Juliet make the reckless decision to commit suicide together due to a love-struck mentality that their significant other is the sole basis for living. Romeo and Juliet are not the only ones who find themselves in graves; Tybalt, Paris, Mercutio, and Lady Montague subsequently die within the duration of the play. With a high mortality rate and …show more content…

Without sympathy, there can be no tragedy, only the mockery of one. For the play to provoke emotions, the audience would have to connect with the characters whom they can identify and relate with. At the heart of tragedies, there is the conflict of moral values that should be universally seen by the audience that allows them to actively make decisions and relate from their own experiences. The emotional and moral elements of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet are belittled and mocked because of the sheer dramatics of easily resolved conflicts and idiocy of many of the main characters. The most prominent and main external conflict in the play, that also contributes to the notable suicide of the two protagonists, is the rivalry between the two families, Montague and Capulet, that has gone on for so long that both families have disregarded to speak about the origin of the war and instead have chosen to fight in the streets of Verona. Benvolio’s many attempts to resolve the conflicts are evaded such as when Tybalt remarks, “What, drawn, and talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues, and thee.” By deciding to “turn and draw” recklessly in public rather than peacefully sorting out the war, both families are seen as immature and imprudent with the deaths at their fault. Furthermore, many of the characters do nothing for the benefit of others, eliminating the possibility for the audience to have sympathy for the

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