Macbeth – Romeo and Juliet

The plot The Montagues and the Capulets, the 2 most important families in Verona, are enemies. At a ball, Romeo Montague falls in love with Juliet Capulets. They decide to marry secretly and they do it with the help of Friar Lawrence. The same day, there is a fight between Montagues and Capulets and Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, kills Romeo’s friend, Mercutio. Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished from Verona.

Romeo & Juliet’s ending Juliet’s father want her to marry Count Paris. So Friar Lawrence tells her to take a potion that makes her appear dead for 42 hours. He would tell Romeo and he will go get her. However, Romeo doesn’t receive Frair Lawrence’s message and when he hears Juliet is dead, he gives her a kiss, drinks a poison and dies. When Juliet wakes up, she finds him dead, so she takes his knife and kills herself.

Themes As in Macbeth, one of the main themes is DESTINY. However, the characters have free will to decide their actions and their fate. But also the RIVALITY of the families is important because it impedes their love. Of course, the focus is LOVE. The pure and absolute love of R&J is put in contrast with the idea of love of Lord Capulet: a contract between 3 families. For Juliet’s nurse is something physical; for Paris, it is connected to correct behaviour.

Language and style The tragedy is characterized by strong suspense, which is created by the GAPS of KNOWLEDGE: the audience knows everything, but the characters don’t. The language is often lyrical. Romeo’s speech under the balcony is very poetic and he uses the conventions of courtly love.

o se non vuoi, giura che mi ami e non sarò più una Capuleti. Juliet: O Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name; Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love And I'll no longer be a Capulet. Romeo: [Aside] Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this? Juliet: 'Tis but thy name that is my enemy: Thou art thyself, though not a Montague. What's Montague? It is nor hand nor foot, Nor arm nor face, nor any other part Belonging to a man. O be some other name! What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other word would smell as sweet; So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, Retain that dear perfection which he owes Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name, and for thy name, which is no part of thee, Take all myself. Oh Romeo Romeo perché sei tu Romeo!? Rinnega tuo padre, rifiuta il tuo nome, o se non vuoi, giura che mi ami e non sarò più una Capuleti. Solo il tuo nome è mio nemico: tu sei tu, anche se sei un Montecchi. Che vuol dire Montecchi?Non è una mano, né un piede, né un braccio, né un viso, nulla di ciò che forma un corpo. Prendi un altro nome. Che cos'è un nome? Quella che chiamiamo "rosa" anche con un altro nome avrebbe il suo profumo. Rinuncia al tuo nome, Romeo, e per quel nome che non è parte di te, prendi me stessa.

Romeo: I take thee at thy word. Call me but love and I’ll be new baptized. Henceforth I never will be Romeo. […] By a name I know not how to tell thee who I am. My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself Because it is an enemy to thee. Had I written, I would tear the word. Romeo: Ti prendo in parola. Chiamami soltanto amore; e così ribattezzato, d’ora in poi non sarò più Romeo. […] Non posso dirti chi sono con un nome. Il mio nome, cara santa, mi è odioso perché tuo nemico. Se lo avessi qui scritto, lo straccerei.