It is obvious from all versions of ‘Romeo and Juliet’, written of performed, that the two characters of Romeo and Mercutio share a very close relationship, even though the two friends have highly contrasting personalities. Romeo is a romantic who loves to be in love, and is quite selfish and introverted. Mercutio on the other hand, believes in lust instead of love, and is at his best in the centre of attention. Act 2 Scene 4 is the morning after the Capulet ball where Romeo met Juliet, and is centred on the two friends’ duel of wit. At the start, Mercutio is outwardly wondering where Romeo is, showing that he likes to be in control of his friends.
Discuss the relationship between Hal and Falstaff; what are the positive and negative aspects of it and how do these effect events in the play? The relationship between Hal and Falstaff show in Henry IV both demonstrate positive and negative aspects which have an impactful effect on the outcome of the play. Shakespeare utilizes their relationship to breakdown the amount of sophisticated events that occur through comedy to ease the tension. Some other aspects of Hal’s and Falstaff’s relationship are that they happy to live a carefree lifestyle and that there is strong bond of trust and loyalty between them. These aspects help the reader understand the type of characters that are.
However, Shakespeare presents Benedick’s change in a more positive and light-hearted manner, whilst Macbeth’s change revolves around negativity and wrong-doing as the approach to each individual genre is different, where comedies are humorous and happy, whilst tragedies are gloomy and grief-stricken. INTRO: The opening scene of the play, ‘Much Ado About Nothing’, is significant as Shakespeare introduces the genre of the play as a romantic comedy through the comic names given to Benedick and Beatrice by each other. Beatrice nicknames Benedick as “Signor Mountanto”, which uses sexual innuendo expressing their love hate relationship, created by the definition of the word ‘montanto’ (technical term for an upward thrust in fencing). This insulting, but hilarious comment would have only been understood by the Shakespearean audience. Opposing this, Benedick personifies disdain in the form of Beatrice, by calling her “Lady Disdain”, suggesting that she is in fact, the epitome of disdain or contempt.
This offends John because he compares himself to Romeo (which explains why he is annoying) and Lenina to Juliet (which explains the stupidity). Also, he takes his Shakespeare very seriously. I think that John will, like Romeo, do something really idiotic to gain Lenina’s love. Perhaps by jumping off a building, (hopefully). Maybe he is going to profess his love in front of all the workers at the Centre, and then Lenina will be really happy, but also embarrassed because an “uncivilized” person likes her.
Explore how Much Ado draws on and challenges comic conventions. Much Ado About is a play largely based on romantic comedy. Many aspects of the play are funny because of the desire and need shared by characters, to be together, although they each express it in different ways. Although the young lovers Hero and Claudio provide the main storyline through their excelling relationship, the tension between the older, lovers Benedick and Beatrice is what makes Much Ado About Nothing so memorable. Benedick and Beatrice argue with delightful wit, and Shakespeare develops their journey from antagonism to sincere love and affection with a rich sense of humour and compassion.
How is Mercutio and Romeo’s relationship represented in “Romeo and Juliet”? Romeo and Mercutio‘s relationship is represented as a barometer for how much Romeo changes during the play. The scenes I will be using to represent this are: Act I Scene 4, the Queen Mab speech, Act 2 Scene 4, the first beach scene and Act 3 Scene I, which is Mercutio’s death scene. In Act I Scene 4, Mercutio seems to enjoy having a sort of friendly banter with Romeo, with back and forth comments. In this scene Mercutio seems to be better at bantering than Romeo, always having a response to everything that Romeo says: “Romeo: ‘I dreamt a dream tonight’ Mercutio: ‘And so did I’ Romeo: ‘And what was yours’ Mercutio: ‘That dreamers often lie’ “ This shows that Mercutio is better at bantering than Romeo and also that he is starting to get angry with Romeo about him being all Petrarchan and sad about his unreturned love for Rosaline and during this scene you can see him starting all nice and sympathetic about Romeo’s feelings, but he gets angrier and angrier as Romeo refuses to come to the party until Mercutio make the Queen Mab speech, where he shows how he has been hurt by love in the past, and he his speech becomes quite disturbing, about rape and slitting necks, and how that love is dangerous, unfair and downright cruel.
He is always ready for a party, and he likes to have a good laugh. Toby does not like to take life too seriously, and he makes light of anything too grim. This attitude is shown when he first comes into the play, drunk, saying “What a plague means my niece to take the death of her brother thus? I’m sure care’s an enemy to life.” (1.3.1-2) Toby cannot understand why his kinsman, Olivia, is taking her brother’s death so seriously, and says that he believes grief is unhealthy. At times, Toby is a cheerful character who always is ready to have fun and make light of a situation.
Also, when Blanche says Cherry with excitement, he replies back with excitement as well. The change of theme can get confusing if you know the play and the movie. It is clear that the young man enjoys his fate in the movie while in the play he is nervous and uneasy. This contributes to Blanches character in the play and the movie. The fact that in the movie the boy doesn’t resist and rather enjoys his encounter with
Good Mercutio” (page 75). Having this courage may help with future conflicts that Romeo has. Romeo is also very romantic which wins Juliet over. He demonstrates this when he is talking to Juliet in the balcony scene as he says, “the exchange of thy love faithful vow for me” (page 59), proposing to Juliet. Lastly, Shakespeare uses Juliet to support his thesis as she is loveable and dependant, yet
Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I never saw true beauty till this night.”( pg 32: line 42) The attraction between Romeo and Juliet is immediate and neither of them understands this sudden intense attractions. Romeos love for Rosaline must have been superficial. Romeo immaturity is also highlighted when he goes climbing into the Capulets garden to see Juliet again “.....but soft!