Discuss how the motif is seen throughout Romeo and Juliet.
"Within this infant rind of this weak flower poison hath residence and medicine
power."(2.3)
"With baleful weeds and precious-juiced flowers. The earth
that's nature's Mother is her tomb.(2.3)
"The sweetest honesy is loathesome
in its deliciousness and in the taste confounds the appetite."(2.6)
"Take
thou this vial, being then in bed, And this distilling liquor drink thou off;
when presently through all thou vains shall run a cold and drowsy humor; for no
pulse shall keep his native progress, but surcease; no warmth, no breath, shal
testify thou livest."(4.1)
"A dram of poison, such soon-speeding gear as will
disperse itself through all the veins that the life-weary taker may fall dead,
and that the truck may be discharged of breath as violently as hasty powder
fired doth hurry from the fatal cannon's womb."(5.2)
At the beginning of
the play, herbs and other potions all seem harmless, although we know they can
be deadly and fatal. As the play progresses, mentions of such things are used in
a harmful and violent connotation. Their hardships and family feuds make them
lean more towards the option of taking poison. When they meet and are together,
they need the medicine to bring happiness. But as the fights and seperations
bring more hardships and difficulties, poison seems like an only choice. Romeo
and Juliet need to constantly choose between poison, to end all emotional pain
and hardships, or medicine, to heal and bring peace.
Throughtout Romeo and Juliet, war is expressed through the conflicts with the capulets and montagues. War is expressed more frequently than peace because you have events such as when Tybalt kills Mercutio and when Romeo kills tybalt, as well as the common battles betwen the two groups. Peace was experessed when the Prince threatens the Montagues and Capulets with the death of their leaders if war continues. This stops war for a while but eventually battle outbreaks. The Princes attempt at maintaining peace was futile because war is not so easily suppressed. I think that the only way to permantly end war is to die. This eventually happends at the end of the story when Romeo and Juliet finally kill themselves. I think that when Romeo and Juliet finally die, the Capulets and Montagues realize that their family fued isn't worth the price of their loved ones.
RépondreSupprimerDuring the first encounter between the Capulets and Montagues in act 1 scene 1, Tybalt says, "Turn thee, Benvollio; look upon thy death." Tybalt means that if Benvolio chooses to fight him, Tybalt will kill him. When Capulet and Montague are standing above the dead bodies of Romeo and Juliet, Capulet says, "Poor sacrafices of our emnity". He is saying that the hatred between the families has cost him his daughter. I don't think this causes Capulet and Montague to end the war because Montague says that he will raise a statue of Juliet, a capulet, in gold. Meaning that he respects the capulets.
RépondreSupprimerBenvolio- "I do but keep the peace. Put thy sword, or manage it to part these men with me"
RépondreSupprimerTybalt- "What drawn and talk of peace? I hate the word as I hate hell, all Montagues and thee. Have at thee coward!"
Benvolio wants to end the fight and make things peaceful. Tybalt can't go past the fact that Benvolio is a Montague, and is also blinded by his hatred.
Tybalt- "Uncle this is a Montague, our foe, a villan, that is hither come in spite of scorn or our solemnity this night"
Capulet- "Young Romeo is it? I content thee, gentle foe, let him alone..."
The hatred shown between the two families are mainly by the younger generation, who get very violent. The elders are more peaceful towards the other family. They don't want to pull out their sword everytime they see the eachother.
Benvolio- "We talk here in the public haunt of men. Either withdraw unto some private place, or reason coldly of your grievances, or else depart. Here all eyes gaze on us."
Benvolio is one of the men who like to keep the peace. He says to either stop, or go to a less public place, so they don't disturb the people. After Benvolio says this, they ignore what he said and keep fighting. Tybalt kills Mercutio which rages Romeo. Romeo and Tybalt fight and Romeo kills Tybalt. This infuriated the two families. This lead them to a deeper hatred than before and affected the love of Romeo and Juliet.
In the end, this resulted in the death of Romeo and Juliet. After the death, the two families realized how stupid it is to be in a feud. Finally, they made peace and made a golden statue of the two.
Another great question.
RépondreSupprimerDo you agree with Dwallin that people need to die before a war ends?
Do we need to be shocked by the horror of war before we realise it is futile (can we not learn our lesson without killing people)?
Reactions?
I agree and I don't agree with Dwallin. Because, first of all after a war, you life will never be like in the time. The people who faught in wars were traumatised for life! So been in a war changes your life anyway. And the fact that people should die before the end of the war, it depends on what side you were during the waror how important or what actions you did. If during a war, if your on the bad side, for example during the second world war: the Nazis, you might as well die before the end of the war because they would had anyway. But if during the war if you were just a simple soldier on the "good side", even though your life wouldn't be like before, you would be able to tell your children ou grand children your story.
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