Comparison of Romeo and Juliet/ Antigone

Similarities/Differences of Romeo and Juliet/Antigone

Rossiter Worthington Raymond once said, “Life is eternal, and love is immortal, and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing save the limit of our sight.” Many themes can be illuminated in this quote, but there are three that stand out and relate to the plot lines of these two tragic plays, in a way that makes the emotions and perception of the characters much more palpable and heartfelt. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Sophocles’ Antigone both develop a complex plot structure and show many similarities and differences through the three themes of Religion, Love, and Death.

These tragedies show plot structure through an importance on religion. Religion plays a big part of life in both plays. Marriage is one of the many things in Romeo and Juliet and Antigone that is affected by religion. Not only was marriage considered much more sacred, creating a commitment in which divorce was not an option, but the ceremony contained many religious symbols and rituals, and was focused around praying. Marriage was a very important part of everyday life, along with the religious/political leader. Friar Lawrence played a very important role in the plot line of Romeo and Juliet, similar to the role that Creon played in Antigone. The Friar gave advice, helped Romeo escape to Mantua after he was exiled, devised a plan to help Juliet be with Romeo, in an attempt to help the couple escape the conflict raging between their two families, while Creon laid down the law and placed rules in place that changed the order of events. “Hold daughter; I do spy a kind of hope, which caves as desperate an execution. As that is desperate which we would prevent. If, rather than to marry County Paris, Thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself, Then is it likely thou wilt undertake a thing like death to chide away this shame, that cop’st with death himself to scape from it: and, if thou darest, I’ll give thee...