Romeo and Juliet Destructive Relationship Essay Flashcards
Destructive relationship essay structure
Introduction Plot summary Secrecy of love Impact on Relationships with others Impact on their behaviour Impact on Society Conclusion
Introduction
Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tells the story of two ‘star-crossed lovers’ from feuding families in Verona. The play follows a central theme of love, and how it can be a destructive force, as the love between Romeo and Juliet is explored in its defiance and its passion, ultimately resulting in their tragic deaths.
When Romeo and Juliet meet they are faced with the conflict of the hate of their feuding families and the purity of their love. Despite their marriage and the Friar’s elaborate plan, their love causes fatal consequences. At the end of the play, there is a new peace in Verona, tragically released through the death of the young lovers.
Secrecy of love - topic sentence 1
The potential destructiveness of the relationship is introduced when Romeo and Juliet meet. They are both devastated when they realise each other comes from their rival families. Their love is so powerful they ignore the rivalry and so set upon a secretive, tragic journey together.
From the beginning of the play Romeo and Juliet’s love is destructive and bound to end in tragedy, nevertheless they both decide to ignore the rivalry and set upon a secretive tragic journey together
Secrecy of love quote 1
Romeo when he finds out who Juliet is :
‘Is she a Capulet? O dear account! My life is my foe’s debt?.
Secrecy of love - reference to question
The nature of their secret love ultimately leads to their demise. a lack of honesty is rarely a positive thing in relationship, and these two are no different. If they were not forced to hide their love by their feuding families they may not have met such an awful end and wouldn’t have had to take such drastic measures (both committing suicide).
Impact on relationships with others - topic sentence
Throughout the play, both lovers’ relationships with others quickly becomes strained, especially when she disobeys her fathers wishes for her to be married earlier than initially intended:
Impact on relationships with others - quote
‘I tell thee what: get thee to church a’Thursday, or never after look me in the face’
Mercutio as he’s dying : “A plague a’both houses’
Impact on relationships with others - reference to question
This clearly shows a destructive relationship because ultimately due to Romeo and Juliet’s love, Romeo’s best friend dies, causing lots of disruption within Verona. Romeo is enraged by his best friends death, which then leads to another untimely death; when Romeo kills Tybalt as revenge for Mercutio’s death. This means that Romeo and Juliet inadvertently cause the death of two young men, and there is no doubt that it will not be the last death they cause.
Impact on their behaviour Romeo - topic sentence
Meeting Juliet has an impact on how Romeo feels and therefore acts towards the Capulet house members. In Act 3, scene 1, after his marriage to Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio fight and when Romeo intervenes, Tybalt kills Mercutio. This is a turning point in the play, where Romeo abandons his morals and begins acting impulsively.
Impact on their behaviour - Romeo - Quote
‘And fire-eyed fury be my conduct now!”
Impact on their behaviour - Juliet - Topic sentence
When we first meet Juliet, she is portrayed as a very young girl . She is in fact so young that she is not yet interested in boys, as we see when her mother asks Juliet what her opinion of marriage is and she replies with
Impact on their behaviour - Juliet - Quote
1) Juliet when asked by her mother on her thoughts on marriage ‘It is an honour that I dream not of.’
2) This proves to be a direct contrast to further on in the play. In Act 3, she states, ‘and though I am sold/ Not yet enjoyed.’ - when Juliets is waiting for Romeo in her room.
3) Juliet when she’s about to kill herself: “Oh happy dagger.”
Impact on Society - topic sentence
After the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, the Prince sums up the consequences of the relationship and the destruction it has caused for everybody:
Impact on society - quote
Prince at the tomb describing the deaths due to the feud :
1) ‘Have lost a brace of kinsmen’
2) ‘Here lies the County Paris slain, And Romeo dead, and Juliet, dead before, Warm and new killed.
Families agree to end feud:‘O brother Montague, give me thy hand.’
Conclusion
When Romeo and Juliet first meet, an intense love is created which captivates the audience. There are moments of beauty and love, but in the end the relationship does more damage than it does create. Many factors contributed to the destructive nature of the relationship, feuding families, consequential secrecy and deceit. Ultimately the lovers lose their families, friends and their lives for their relationship.
