romeo and juliet - AO2

Question 1

what do shakespearian tragedies consist of?

Answer 1

• A tragic hero: a once-heroic or innocent figure who is destined to die:
  In Romeo and Juliet, this is both Romeo and Juliet
• Fatal flaw (hamartia): a character trait that leads to the tragic hero’s downfall:
  Macbeth’s hamartia is ambition
  Romeo and Juliet both have the same flaw: impulsiveness
• A foil: a character who stands in contrast to the tragic hero, who conforms to the typical societal expectations of the era:
  Mercutio acts as a foil in Romeo and Juliet, contrasting Romeo
• Fate: all tragic heroes cannot escape their fate or destiny
• Catharsis: a moment of shared expression for the audience. Often, this is sympathy for the once heroic figure, and the person they could have been. This is sometimes known as a technique called the tragic waste:
  The deaths of all of Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet evoke different levels of sympathy
• Conflict: this can be both external conflict (battles, duels, feuds) or internal (psychological conflict)
• Final restoration of the status quo: this means, essentially, that things go back to normal after the death of the tragic hero(s)

Question 2

what verse forms did shakespeare use?

Answer 2

Shakespeare used three forms of poetic language when he wrote his plays:
- Blank verse
- Rhymed verse
- Prose
He uses each of these different forms throughout his plays
Shakespeare used these different forms of language for dramatic purposes; they performed different functions:
- To distinguish characters from one another
- To reveal the psychology of characters
- To show character development

Question 3

what is blank verse?

Answer 3

• Blank verse consists of unrhymed lines of ten syllables, although it does not always exactly fit that pattern:
• Typically in Shakespeare plays, blank verse represents human feelings in speeches and soliloquies. It is the form used the most by Shakespeare
• It is the form most often used for the main characters in Shakespeare’s plays, especially when they are speaking of important subjects
• Blank verse is the form of language most often used by characters of high status
• In Romeo and Juliet, all the noble characters speak the vast majority of their lines in blank verse.

Question 4

what is rhymed verse?

Answer 4

• Rhymed verse consists of sets of rhymed couplets: two successive lines that rhyme with each other at the end of the line
• Shakespeare often used rhymed verse to reflect ritualistic and supernatural events in his plays
• However, Shakespeare occasionally uses other forms of rhymed verse within his plays, for example, in the sonnet:
  -> A sonnet is usually a standalone love poem of 14 lines
  -> Shakespeare uses this form of language when Romeo and Juliet first see each other to reflect the instant love they feel for each other

Question 5

what is prose?

Answer 5

• Prose is unrhymed lines with no pattern or rhythm:
• Shakespeare used prose for serious episodes, letters, or when characters appear to be losing control of their minds (when it would be unrealistic for them to speak poetically):
  -> In Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio begins to speak in prose when he is being reckless in his fateful exchange with Tybalt
• Shakespeare also uses prose for low-status characters:
  -> In Romeo and Juliet, the nurse and the musicians speak in prose
• Sometimes, Shakespeare uses prose to reflect comedic speeches or dialogue

Question 6

what should you focus on in essays?

Answer 6

• Form
• Language
• Structure
• Characterisation
• Stagecraft
• You do not need to include quotations to analyse the above, but you will still be rewarded well by the examiner