William Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” explores true love in amongst feuding families whilst exploiting the notion that deception leads to catastrophic misfortune. The young poetically portrayed Romeo’s inability to control unchecked emotions, directs him to being disloyal amongst family and his “star crossed [lover]” Juliet. Furthermore, Juliet’s love for “(her) Romeo” causes her to turn a blind eye to his disloyalty and hastily act on his “banished”, through these actions she uses trickery to deceive her family and because of her love affected decisions. Friar Lawrence along with the nurse, cause confusion for the hasty lovers which renders to heightening the family’s feud. Shakespeare presents the concept that deceptive decisions lead to tragic events.
Shakespeare uses incessant word play, and constant mockery between key characters to portray the comedic effect. An example of constant mockery could be the ‘merry war’ between Beatrice and Benedick which continues throughout the entire play. Early on in the play Claudio and Hero fall in love at first sight. This leads Don Pedro to act like Claudio offering to woo Hero evidently fooling her at the masked ball. This is dramatic irony because the audience know who the masked characters are but the actual characters don’t.
Othello says to her “It gives me wonder great as my content to see you here before me. O my soul’s joy!” (2.1.199-200). These beautiful and loving words are soon changed to hostility and rage with the thought of Desdemona’s betrayal. Both Desdemona and Hero are accused of being unfaithful through presented “ocular proof”, they are both disgraced by the leading male role, and they are young and inexperienced in the ways of love and both women are extremely forgiving after they have been mistreated by their suitors. Much Ado about Nothing was written by William Shakespeare as a comedy, but it could have very well been turned into a tragedy comparable to Othello.
In Act 3 Scene 2, Don John enters Leonato’s house and says to Claudio “I came hither to tell you, and circumstances shortened the lady is disloyal.” Don John is presented as a ‘deceiver’ in this scene by his actions, creating uproar between the couple. The ways in which Shakespeare presents men’s attitudes to women are not used for comical purposes in this scene. This scene presents women to be promiscuous and untrustworthy characters. Also, the fact that Claudio believes Don John and assumes that the woman committing adultery is Hero portrays
Her boisterousness and hostility is epitomised in the stage direction [She strikes him]. This indicates that Katherina employs physical abuse as a self defense mechanism against Petruchio. Such violent behavior was classed as shrew-like and highly unorthodox in the Elizabethan Era, particularly towards a male suitor of a high social class. Thus, Katherina challenges the values of courtship and marriage, in a way that is relevant to her society. Correspondingly, in 10 Things I Hate About You, Kat rebels against the social expectations of the permeating values of courtship and dating.
Friar Lawrence offers advice that hehimself does not follow. While his advice is well meaning, because he doesnot follow it, terrible events occur. The death of Romeo and Juliet, and,indirectly, Tybalt and Mercutio, are due to Friar Lawrence’s inability to backup his own advice with action. For example, had Friar Lawrence gone with hisown advice that marrying Romeo and Juliet would be too hasty, Romeo andJuliet would not have ended up dead. But, in the end, he married the coupletoo soon, eventually resulting in a disaster.
After being tricked by Don John into thinking that Hero is unfaithful to Claudio, by witnessing Hero (actually Margaret) having an affair with Borachio, Don Pedro and Claudio are determined to embarrass Hero in front of the whole crowd at the wedding. Upset and angered that his friend has been betrayed, Don Pedro exclaims, “What should I speak? I stand dishonour’d, that have gone about to link my dear friend to a common stale” (Shakespeare 48-49). At this point in the play, the reader has already seen multiple examples of how Don Pedro’s acts of kindness towards his close friend have gone horribly wrong. Don Pedro’s loyalty towards his friend Claudio has portrayed him as an insensitive character regarding his comments about Hero.
/ For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night” (I.v.50-51) This shows his impulsiveness by not mentioning Rosaline at all and starting to fall in love with a girl he does not even know. Yet does he know she is a Capulet. Romeo’s action of falling in love leads to much grief of others. It leads to the deaths of Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Mercutio, Paris, and Lady Montague. The fates and lives of these people, Romeo included, could have been spared if his tragic flaw had not taken over when
In the book Much Ado About Nothing by William Shakespeare, the entire plot of the play stems from multiple tricks that characters play on each other. Shakespeare is suggesting that tricking people is not right or wrong, for the outcome of the tricks can be beneficial or destructive, or just plain harmless. One example of how deception might be bad is when Don John, bitter about being the “backup Prince,” used trickery to get revenge. When he learned about Claudio’s feelings for Hero and their plan to marry, he was provided with great opportunity to strike everybody at once. Don John decided to spoil Claudio’s love for Hero and sabotage their marriage.
Although it was Hamlet who wooed her, and with whom she was intimate it is Hamlet himself who later chastises her for her impious actions. “Get thee to a/nunnery, go: farewell. Or, if thou wilt needs/marry, marry a fool; for wise men know well enough/what monsters you make of them. To a nunnery, go,/and quickly too.” (III.i.131), he commands her, leaving her without a response. By saying these words to her he is crassly calling her a harlot, and making to appear that he never really loved her.