Submitted by: Submitted by papercamp5678
Views: 1036
Words: 632
Pages: 3
Category: Literature
Date Submitted: 12/14/2010 08:14 PM
Contrasting Romeo and Juliet Essay
In William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”, the two characters Romeo and Juliet are different in many ways. They both have characteristics that oppose one another, and that’s why the fact that they are in love is so profound. Romeo seems to be very spontaneous, willing, and unrealistic while Juliet displays characteristics of being cautious, stubborn, and rational. There is a lot of evidence found in the book to demonstrate how different they truly are, yet it is also evident that their feeling of love for one another is the same.
In the book, there are numerous examples of how Romeo and Juliet differ, but one that is clearly presented is how spontaneous Romeo is while Juliet is more cautious. On page 1048 Romeo says, “Staying for thine to keep him company. Either thou or I, or both, must go with him.” He says this right before he attacks Tybalt, one of the biggest mistakes he ever made. If he had thought about what he was going to do and didn’t make such spontaneous decisions, this mistake could’ve been prevented. Juliet, on the other hand, acting much more cautious, said to Romeo on page 1024, “If they do see thee, they will murder thee.” trying to warn him of her guards who will kill him. She knows the consequences that will come from him sneaking into her backyard, and does not hesitate to caution Romeo about these.
Another example found in the book of Romeo and Juliet’s contrasting characteristics is found on pages 1030 and 1067. When Romeo says to Friar Laurence, “Then plainly know my heart’s dear love is set on the fair daughter of rich Capulet...And all combined, save what thou must combine By holy marriage. When, where, and how we met, we wooed, and made exchange of vow” he is acting very willingly towards the idea of marriage to Juliet. He does not restrain himself and tells the Friar of his true emotions so they can be immediately acted upon. In contrast, Juliet acts very stubborn towards her father on page...