Romeo and Juliet is probably one of the greatest love stories of all time. But also one of the greatest tragedies. So does this mean that we have to preserve it; leave untouched from literary criticism and dissection like a timeless artifact? Not necessarily. In fact, it encapsulates some of the greatest fears inherent in Elizabethan England and Renaissance Italy, as well as their perception of love- one that transcends the demarcations of time to our contemporary society.

 

But how exactly do we actually analyse this painstakingly beautiful, and simultaneously tragic piece of work?
Firstly, let’s take a bit of a look at the context.

 

Context & Conventions

 

It is set in 16^th century Verona, Italy, which was marred by the political discord between adjacent Italian city-states, many of which were under Venetian control by affluent merchants, or ‘nobles.’ This perpetuated social disparities and class antagonisms; particularly between affluent families, such as the Montagues and the Capulets, for power and influence. It’s important to note that this internecine upheaval between families represents a microcosm of the political fragmentation between Italian city-states. Furthermore, Renaissance Humanism was a prominent paradigm that sparked a revival in classical antiquity and superseding studies of religion with a greater exploration of human complexities; in particular, individualism, moral autonomy and agency, which is emulated by Juliet’s fervent defiance of social strictures. Elizabethans were also extremely astrological and fascinated with the idea of cosmic determinism, which is elucidates how one’s fate is indelibly etched in their life trajectory before they are even born.

 

Shakespeare’s oeuvre is framed by a tragedian structure. But what really are tragedies? Well, since you asked….

 

In essence, tragedies are a form of drama that involves a range of tensions and distressing events that are experienced by the protagonist, which ultimately results in their downfall and is a byproduct of their own personal flaws or decision. Some hallmarks of tragedies include:

 

♥  Inherent character flaws (hamartia)

♥  Consistent dualitiesbetween good and evil

♥  Opposing forces or external circumstances that impinge on individual autonomy

♥  An existential moment of catharsis towards the denouement

♥  Tragic downfall, or the ‘fall of man’

♥  Protagonist experiences a fate/ free will dichotomy

♥  Hubris (the most common hamartia)

 

Okay, great. But hang on- if Romeo and Juliet is a romantic tragedy, we need to know the conventions of those:

 

♥  Exploring a facet of ‘forbidden love,’ often by societal circumstances and status

♥  Both protagonists sacrifice their lives to pursue relationship

♥  Psychological, emotional, social or cultural obstacles that impinge on their relationship

♥  Distressing situation in which both characters are involved

♥  Possible demise or fragmentation of the relationship towards the denouement

♥  Potential love rival

 

Thematic analysis

Love

There is no doubt that when you think of Romeo and Juliet, the first thing that comes to your mind is love. Although this innate, powerful emotion is a dominant theme, Shakespeare presents an unromanticized version that is marred by inherent contradictions and tensions. The interlacing of poetic language and violent imagery that permeates most of Romeo and Juliet’s dialogue illuminates the passionate and almost uncontrollable nature of their love; exemplified by Juliet’s renowned balcony scene, where Romeo declares his love; “Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon/ Who is already sick and pale with grief.” Thus, language acts as a powerful conduit for them to express the magnitude of their love for each other; a love that supersedes rationality. Shakespeare subverts preconceived, idealistic perceptions of love, and exposes it in all of its complexities and destructive tendencies.

 

Interestingly, the play also focuses on the obstructions to love, including the Capulet and Montague discord, which frames the precarity and transgressive nature of their relationship, as well as the accelerated and unfortunate nature of time. 

 

 

Violence and upheaval

It is really important to understand and analyse the contextual circumstances in which something was created, written or filmed. If you have noticed, just about all of Shakespeare’s oeuvres have been written during a period of socio- political fragmentation, which frames the discourse of upheaval. As aforementioned, Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona during the Italian Renaissance, which was marred by the warring of adjacent city-states. On a more localised level, these city-states were run by affluent nobles and merchants, who often fought to maintain their patrilineal prestige and dominance.

 

There’s a bit of a history lesson! So how does this relate to Romeo and Juliet, may you ask?

 

Well, this internecine discord between affluent families is reflected in the ongoing feud between the Capulets and the Montagues, which is interwoven throughout the play. Even the first act, which involves a fight between Sampson and Gregory, illuminates this precarity that plagues Verona.

 

Throughout the play, Tybalt epitomises this violence, primarily due to his vendetta against Romeo for attending the Capulet feast, and thus wants to protect his family name. After a violent brawl between Romeo and Tybalt, Mercutio’s merciless death triggers a paradigmatic shift inRomeo, as he becomes more aggressive and vengeful towards Tybalt.

 

After Romeo has killed Tybalt, he returns to Juliet to consummate their marriage; which creates this union between violence and sex, or love. The sexual imagery interwoven throughout the play also illuminates the destructive and transgressive nature of their relationship, and forebodes their tragic demises. 

 

 

Free will vs Fate

The dichotomy between fate and free will is profoundly interwoven in the play’s structure. Juliet pursues Romeo with an unbridled, infatuated passion, seemingly unaware that their fates are cosmically misaligned. In the prologue, Romeo and Juliet’s romantic trajectory is deemed “star-crossed” and “death-marked,” which elucidates every facet of their relationship and the circumstances around it are controlled by fate; emanating an augury of inescapable death.

 

Introducing a sense of dramatic irony from the outset not only amplifies the suspense, which is a hallmark of tragedian oeuvres, but also endows the audience with greater perceptibility of the unfolding events.

 

Despite the ominously ‘hegemonic’ nature of fate, Romeo and Juliet continue to pursue their relationship, in hopes that they will circumvent their predetermined destinies. Shakespeare underscores how transgressing the preordained order and pursuing one’s liberated psyche can provide the impetus for fateful consequences.

 

 

Patriarchy

The patriarchal paradigms inherent in Renaissance families were also reflected in a plethora of Shakespeare’s oeuvres. The subservience of women during the Renaissance differed between classes, however, women were dependent on males; where limitations on the panoply of educational opportunities, as well as social and political rights, further denigrated the status of women by subjecting them to both social and mental imprisonment. Marriage could be considered the epitome of female enslavement, where patrilineal inheritance of property and finance were transferred from the father to the husband; limiting a women’s ability to exercise her free will. Very few women objected as female subservience to the ‘dominant’ sex was an intergenerational axiom; fearing that they would be condemned for diverging from a paradigm that was deeply entrenched in the Renaissance Italian society. Women were also enforced to exhibit morally righteous behaviour and ethical rectitude, as well as adhering to Christian principles of propriety, which Juliet transgresses.

If you are interested in patriarchal strictures, (which I’m sure you are!), then from a contextual perspective, the Ancient Greek and Roman concept of The Four Humors also profoundly influenced and reinforced female docility during the Renaissance. A particular ‘humor’ was correlated with physiological and psychological characteristics, with males and females being classified dichotomously. While heat and dryness were ascribed to males, which was associated with their presence in the public sphere and a perceived ‘mental toughness,’ cold and wetness was associated with females, due to their confinement in the domestic sphere and the fundamental role they played in childbirth. This theory rendered women more susceptible to patriarchal subjugation on a personal, psychological and political level; and thereby placed Juliet in an extremely vulnerable position from the moment she was born.

Due to her infatuation with Romeo, Juliet allows the world to move through her consciousness, which results in the defiance of patriarchal power structures and religious orthodoxy, in the form of rejecting an arranged marriage to Paris and committing suicide, respectively.

 

Contextual analysis

 

♥  Patriarchal metanarratives frame the tragedian play; curtailing Juliet’s ability to exercise self-sovereignty and her own agency. After a tearful Juliet dismisses Paris’ inclinations to betroth her, Paris retaliates; “Thy face is mine, and thou hast slandered it,” wherein her “face” is a synecdochal representation of female objectification; perpetuated by Paris, who linguistically deprives her of physical and psychological freedom. The deeply entrenched nature of female subjugation is also exemplified by Capulet’s earlier counsel to Paris in Verona; “Let two more summers wither in their pride,/ Ere we may think her ripe to be a bride,”  wherein the diction of “summers” and “ripe,” which carries agricultural and farming undertones, reduces Juliet’s character to merely a crop that needs to be protected and cared for to ensure marriage compatibility; reinforcing the patriarchal suppression inherent in Renaissance Italy.

 

♥  At the very end of the tragedy, Prince Escalus encapsulates the tensions and dislocations inherent in Romeo and Juliet’s passionate, yet fleeting infatuation; “For never was a story of more woe/ Than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” The internal, rhyming couplet of “woe” and “Romeo,” reflects a sense of stasis and stability; illuminating how their fateful deaths were inevitably predetermined. By pursuing their free will and attempting to transgress the preordained, natural order, negative repercussions ensue, which aligns with the Elizabethan ideal of cosmic determinism. Ironically, Prince Escalus states, “Juliet and her Romeo,” where the possessive pronoun, “her” suggests that Juliet had a form of psychological ownership over Romeo, as her death emotionally crippled him and rendered him the epitome of human frailty; resulting in his untimely death due to his realisation that he was no longer ‘whole.’ This subverts the conservative paradigms of female subjugation and male ownership.

 

♥  Fatalism is interwoven throughout the play to highlight the dangers of autonomy in a hierarchical world. On the way to the Capulets’ feast, Romeo informs Mercutio about a recent dream, declaring in a prophetic manner; “My mind misgives/ Some consequence yet hanging in the stars,” wherein the celestial imagery of “stars” suggests that his tragic demise was indelibly etched from birth, and not a byproduct of his actions; thereby alluding to the Elizabethan belief that one’s fate was determined under the “stars” in which they were born. The alliteration of “mind misgives” further creates a sense of fixed rigidity; emphasising the inflexible nature of his fate.

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