Romeo and Juliet is a play written by William Shakespeare, one of the best known of the author and the representation, for many, of the love that tries to fight against any adversity to be together.
But What else should you know about Romeo and Juliet? Pay attention to what we have prepared for you and you will know a little more about this melodramatic classic.
What is the plot of Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet tells the story of two young men, each from a Verona family, facing each other. In a chance meeting, Romeo and Juliet meet and fall madly in love. However, Julieta's family already has an arranged marriage for her.
Despite the opposition of both families, the young people cannot help but love each other, but it is a feeling that, although it is reciprocated, is doomed to failure. Even so, the two boys follow the dictates of their hearts, getting married secretly in a ceremony.
But fate awaits another "move." And it is that due to the death of one of Romeo's best friends, at the hands of Juliet's cousin, this, in revenge, kills him, being sentenced to exile by the Prince of Verona. Faced with this situation in which they must separate, Juliet asks a friar for help to try to be with her love. Thus, they devise the plan to take an elixir to appear that he has passed away, advising Romeo of the plan so that they can be together. But that message never leads to its destination.
Therefore, finding her in that state, Romeo decides to take his life with his beloved. When she wakes up and sees what he has done, in order to follow him to the afterlife, she too decides to end his life.
The topics covered in Romeo and Juliet
Although it may seem that Romeo and Juliet is a romantic work and that it does not go any further, the truth is that it is not. Actually, offers a vision of different topics very different from each other, among which you can find:
Care
There are many who are left alone of Romeo and Juliet in the theme of love, representing a young love that is destined to fail due to everything that happens. In other words, we may be talking about a tragic romance.
According to the analysis of the work, from the first meeting of the couple, something is already predicted Thus, when the author uses certain words that give the reader a vision that this love they profess cannot end well, that they will not achieve their objective.
This is joined by the other characters, both on the part of Romeo and Juliet, who try to dissuade them from the path they take for their love.
It must be borne in mind that, at the time it was written, and even now, suicide is not well regarded, and in fact it is said that it is a reason why you cannot reach paradise, but you go directly to the hell. However, in this case there is a nuance that few know, and it is the fact that, when that suicide takes place to follow love, or to be together, that person does win paradise, as well as being with his or her lover or in love.
Destiny
In this case, the experts themselves differ regarding the fate of Romeo and Juliet. While some say that the result was as expected by the events that are governing his life; otherwise, these are the ones that lead to this tragic outcome.
Actually, the one who knows for sure what happened was the author himself. But if we take into account the time in which it was written, as well as prejudices, social norms, etc. that governed society, it is evident that it is still a reflection of it. What could have ended better? Of course, but in this case the different situations through which the characters happen could well lead them towards that end.
Weather
Keep in mind that Shakespeare's play is quite intense and short. And it is that everything happens in just 4-6 days. Therefore, Shakespeare did not have much "time" to expose an infatuation, a courtship and an outcome. He shortened everything, focusing only on the most tragic events that led to what happened. And despite the fact that the protagonists themselves tried to make their love go outside of time, the truth is that they only achieve this at the end, becoming more of a platonic love than of another type.
What is the structure of the work
Romeo and Juliet is written about 15% in rhyme. It is divided into a total of 5 acts and each of them into scenes. So, you have:
- First act of five scenes.
- Second act of six scenes.
- Third act of five scenes.
- Fourth act of five scenes.
- Fifth act of three scenes.
In each of them different characters enter and leave, and although the entire work is about the love between the two young people, the truth is that there are scenes where these characters do not enter, or only one of them acts.
Romeo and Juliet characters
Quote all characters from William Shakespeare's play It would be very boring, so we are going to focus only on those most representative of the work.
- Romeo. The lover and sole heir of the Montague family.
- Juliet The enamored and only heir of the Capulet family.
- Paris. Juliet's suitor.
- Mercutio and Benvolio. Romeo's best friends.
- Love Juliet's nanny, whom she has cared for since she was little.
- Friar Lorenzo. A friend of Romeo.
- Fray Juan. Franciscan religious authority.
Romeo and Juliet Adaptations
The work of Romeo and Juliet has given rise to countless adaptations. Not only in the literature itself, but in paintings, operas, music, ballet, art, film, and television. In fact, the latter are where we can obtain more references (and also the best known). Films like Romeo + Juliet, with Leonardo Dicaprio, or Shakespeare in Love (where they talked about the Romeo and Juliet play and how it was going to be represented) are some well-known examples.
However, there are also adaptations that, following that tragicomedy, as well as the characters, take them to other more modern times.