While The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet takes place over the course of approximately nine months, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet lasts only a few days. Romeo and Juliet was one of Shakespeare's first plays, and he took several risks while writing it to make something new. According to the summary of the play, Romeo and Juliet was experimental and even radical for its time period.
Structurally, the play compares love and hate, uses...
While The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Juliet takes place over the course of approximately nine months, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet lasts only a few days. Romeo and Juliet was one of Shakespeare's first plays, and he took several risks while writing it to make something new. According to the summary of the play, Romeo and Juliet was experimental and even radical for its time period.
Structurally, the play compares love and hate, uses darkness and light as opposing themes, gives a lot of power to fortune, and experiments with time. Not only is time a structural element of the play — each day brings rising and falling action — but it is also a theme of the play. All the characters make hasty decisions that often lead to death, as in the case of Mercutio, Tybalt, Romeo, and Juliet. Romeo and Juliet's passion is lived hastily and quickly, their decisions made in the blink of an eye; even their words and dialogue are rushed.
Not only does the timing of the play allow for the themes of time and haste to be presented, but it also allows for heightened action. Shakespeare's play moves quickly through highs and lows and comedic and tragic moments, which partially contributes to the play's success.
No comments:
Post a Comment