Shakespeare's
tragedy, Romeo and Juliet, is the tale of two
lovers who take
their lives for each other when their love is hindered
by their feuding
parents. After reading Romeo and Juliet, apparently a
tragedy, I would
say that this story contains aspects of both a
love story and a
tragedy. The tale of two teenagers who fall in
love at first
sight and then marry, become true lovers and then
risk it all for
their love cannot surely be all tragedy. However,
it is a tragedy,
and has been called that for decades.
I will discuss
with you what makes this story a tragedy, and
then what makes
it a love story.
To begin, the
family Montague and the family Capulet had been
locked in a feud
for years, even so that their servants fought
on the street.
This is the tragedy that sets off the train of
other
misfortunes, and if these conflicts were resolved, none
of the further
things I am about to mention would have
happened.
The tragedy of
Romeo's love for Rosalind, she too was a
Capulet, and so
that barred his love for her, although she also
did not love him.
Quite obviously,
the misfortune of Romeo and Juliet's
forbidden love.
This is the basis of the whole story. For two
people to love
each other and not be able to show their true
feelings for each
other is ultimately very frustrating. It's
"Guess Who's
Coming To Dinner" style.
The tragedy of
Tybalt's death. Another result of the family
fight, this was a
tragedy for all involved, the Capulets and the
Montagues,
because Romeo was banished from Verona.
The blight of the
messenger not getting to Romeo in time.
Romeo just
missing Juliet awakening is surely a tragedy. To me
this is one of
the most frustrating things in the play, because
if he just waited
two minutes longer...
And lastly, the
death of Juliet. It is sad that she felt she had
to take her own
life to be with the one she truly loved.
The first thing
in this story which makes me say that it is a
love story is the
falling in love of Romeo and Juliet. Some
people say they
do not believe in love at first sight, but when
reading this
scene anyone would find it hard not to believe in
this.
The disobeying of
their parents wishes is the beginning of the
love story, and
the balcony scene in act 2, scene 2 is enough to
make anyone's
heart melt.
Another thing
which adds to the love story is the marriage of
Romeo and Juliet.
Marriage is a big commitment, ('till death do
us part, believe
it or not they meant it in those days, not like
us today ['till
divorce do us part]) and to love someone so much
that you would
want to marry them is surely part of a love
story.
Lastly, to take
your own life for your husband or wife is
definitely a sign
of true love. To love each other enough that
you would commit
suicide just to be with them after death to
me is the
ultimate commitment.
So there you go.
I am sure you can see that the tragedies do
dominate the
aspects of the love story, but by no means does
this mean that
they are not there. The world may call it a
tragedy, but I
would say that it is both.
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