Romeo And Juliet Marriage Essay

Aristotle proposed what is believed to be the first definition of a true tragedy. Specifically, he states that a tragedy triggers great pity and fear caused by the main characters’ actions alone. Likewise, a true tragedy lacks coincidence and fate plays little in the overall play. William Shakespeare writes the play of The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet in which the audience knows the destiny of these two tragic heroes from the very beginning. Although this play is tragic knowing that the lives of two lovers are lost, it is not a tragedy as Romeo and Juliet are not solely responsible for their own deaths. Destiny is determined through the hands of greater forces than that of Romeo and Juliet, making this play merely tragic and not a true

Women had great social pressure on them to marry. Young girls were often married by the age of 13 or 14 . It was socially unacceptable if women were not married by the age of 25 . Marriage was mostly for economic benefits, not romantic situations. A wedding, rather than a religious ceremony, was a civil contract that set the responsibilities and duties of husband and wife . Once married, they legally became one with their husbands. Married women had no control of their earnings, inheritance, property, and also could not appear in court as a witness nor vote . Their husbands, therefore, were responsible for all aspects of their wife including discipline .

he is later in the play. He thinks that Juliet is too young and if she

Before the eighteenth century, marriage was far less complicated. Verbal consent and consumation constituted legal marriage: "once the knot was tied by such verbal exchanges it could not be

tension, the second he lays his eyes on her he says “if I profane with

Within the play titled Romeo and Juliet written by William Shakespeare the character Juliet of the Capulet family changes her attitude toward love and marriage. Shakespeare's play displays that Juliet’s attitude adjusts throughout the play; she goes from being an independent woman who does not seek marriage, to having a cautious love, to eventually hopelessly in love. At the beginning of the play Juliet’s mother speaks with her about marriage, which Juliet answers to her mother "It is an honor I dream not of,” showing that she has no interest in love. Then when the play moves to the balcony scene Juliet shows change of where she feels that Romeo is her first love, yet she still displays no intent to marry. Eventually after Juliet does decide

In the Renaissance period, marriage was far different and much longer process than it is today. Particularly in the Elizabethan era, marriages were frequently arranged so that both families involved would benefit. Marriages would be arranged to bring prestige, honour and wealth to the family. For the upper class, marriage rarely involved love. Courting outside of one’s class was strictly forbidden and punishable by death in some circumstances. Marriage followed a strict set of protocols that signify maturity and coming into one’s own. In this time, dowries often played a large part in the decision to marry. A dowry, is the custom in which involves an interchange of cash, jewels, foods, estates between the father

Usually, falling in love is what leads a person to marriage, but in this era that was not the case. Most weddings were regulated by the parents so that both families would benefit (“Elizabethan Marriages and Weddings” 1). In other words, a daughter of a landowner would most likely marry a man

There he was, lying in agony in the dark and weary night, next to his beloved's tomb in the ominous cemetery. Seeing the vile creature, Death, take away her soul from his hands. Death insisted to come with him with his hands filled with the white bones of the dead, he came along without hesitation. The well-known tragedy, Romeo, and Juliet by William Shakespeare was a transcendent illustration of the effects of the underdeveloped adolescent brain. The two star-crossed lovers had their destiny planned in front of them. The tragic and mournful deaths of Romeo and Juliet resulted from their impromptu love taking over their everyday lives. Romeo laid on the murky ground of the cemetery, weeping in front of the tomb of Juliet and he would soon kill

The play, Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is about a tragedy of two star crossed lovers who want nothing more than to be together forever. “…Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love, And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” (2.2.35-36) Romeo, a Montague, who is young and passionate, meets Juliet at a Capulet party. When they meet, it’s love at first sight. Juliet, a Capulet, is a beautiful young lady tired of being controlled by her father, Lord Capulet. The two families are in a never ending feud that comes between Romeo and Juliet’s love. In the course of four and a half days, Romeo and Juliet plan their marriage with the help of Priest Friar Laurence and Juliet’s Nurse. After the couple is married,

The preparations taken for an Elizabethan wedding were set in stone almost, because these steps were crucial in making sure everything was ready for the couple. Before a marriage was arranged or not people had to take into account the age of consent, which was twenty-one (William Shakespeare info). However, with parental permission girls could marry at twelve and boys at fourteen, however this wasn’t extremely common (William Shakespeare info). After a couple was engaged, the next step was the betrothal. A betrothal was where a couple would join hands and the man would give his fiancé a ring to be worn on the right hand. At the wedding the ring would be switched to the left ring finger. After all this, the couple would seal their betrothal with a kiss, and then sign their wedding contract (Maggi Ros). A wedding contract was much like a marriage license that we have today. Sometimes a couple would have to “get married hastily” and would just sign

In the Tudor era (when Shakespeare was writing), the upper class married for political agendas, family advancement, and to secure the family status, if it could not be furthered. Most women did not have a choice in the matter of who they married, and by their mid-twenties, they were indeed married off to a suitable husband. Another quotation to show the importance of, and the view of marriage in the sixteenth-century (not long before Shakespeare wrote) comes from Alison Sim in The Tudor Housewife:

The Elizabethan age regarded women’s sexuality as a form of currency. In England’s social structure currency was a means to power. A woman’s virginity was something to be bargained for, and when the time was right, sold to the highest bidder. In modern day, this slightly resembles prostitution, but during Elizabethan times selling a daughter’s virginity was the quickest way up the social ladder. During this time, the sacrifice of virginity implies marriage. Young women rarely married on the idea of love alone, due to the father’s interests in finding an ideal husband that will strengthen the family’s position within the community. Author of Shakespeare’s Women, Angela Pitt states “if for some reason it was impractical for a girl to marry she was encouraged to enter a nunnery,” (15). English women were predominantly ignored outside of the matrimonial and spiritual world.

Elizabethan marriages were a very large ordeal involving not only the town but the families of both parties. The large ordeal was not only unnecessary but also very time consuming and stressful. Marriages, birth, and deaths were all the three cycles of life that were dealt with in the church (Evans 6-7). Marriages that were done by law and not church were not registered as there were no witnesses to the betrothal. Church marriages were common and proper as they would be recorded by the pastor (Harrison 1640). Fathers could get rid of their daughters by marrying them off or if he didn’t, when the daughter came of age, the parents would arrange a marriage for the young teenaged girl to a much older man (Evans 6-7). At fourteen, a child had been responsible for all their actions long ago and was now ripe with puberty and at thirty, a man could be financially stable enough to provide for a bride and any children she might bring. All the girl’s possessions would go to the man so wealthy women never remained single for long. If problems in the marriage arose, nothing could be done because the rules of the church stated that marriage lasted until the death of each party. Not only were marriages done without the age of both parties in mind, but marriages were not for love. Families married to carry on the family surname and increase possessions and

Marriage in the 21st century has been considered to be a sacred declaration of eternal love between two individuals. However, in the 19th century, marriage rarely ensued due to love, but instead for security and bettering one’s social class. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, many characters prove to have various superficial reasons to marry. For example, Charlotte Lucas marries a pompous, arrogant man for security due to the pressures of society placed on women in Austen’s era. Despite the dishonorable intentions of George Wickham, he decides to marry Lydia out of an inconvenient agreement that guarantees financial gain. Conversely, Elizabeth Bennet refuses to marry for any reason that goes against her strong values; instead she marries for love. Austen uses her characters to demonstrate diverse reasons for marriage throughout the novel, Pride and Prejudice. (Lane 2015)