In spite of this, throughout the play it is evident that Hamlet truly loved Ophelia and that she was important to him through the letters he sent her, how he responds to her when they are alone, his reaction to her betrayal, and his declaration of love at her funeral. In the play, Hamlet sends letters to Ophelia revealing his true feelings about her. “Doubt thou the stars are fire, Doubt that the sun doth move, Doubt truth to be a liar, But never doubt I love” (Act 2. Scene 2. Shakespeare).
Friar Lawrence: Unnoticed Importance In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, many secondary characters play an essential role in the play. Friar Lawrence is one of the most important secondary characters in the play. He marries Romeo and Juliet, helps Romeo and Juliet grow in their love for one another, and eventually helps end the feud between the Capulets and the Montagues. He helps the characters in the play grow in a way they would not have on their own. Friar Lawrence affects the action of Romeo and Juliet by marrying Romeo and Juliet, helping Romeo escape Verona safely, and helping them reunite by giving Juliet a sleeping potion to fake her death.
Shakespeare quite obviously plays with the conventions of Petrarchan characters and their views of desire throughout the play but most significantly towards the beginning. Romeo is introduced as a character that seems to be blinded by love, his desire for Rosaline is over powering, shallow and foolish – “He that is strucken blind cannot forget / The precious treasure of his eyesight lost” (1.1.225-226). Shakespeare has created Romeo to resemble the typical ‘Petrarchan lover’ speakers that are found in Petrarch’s sonnets, we hear Romeo obsessing over Rosaline whom like ‘Laura’ from Petrarch’s sonnets is unattainable to Romeo, as she is choosing to remain celibate - "She hath forsworn to love, and in that vow / Do I live dead that live to tell it now” (1.1.216-217) Shakespeare has purposefully created Romeo and Rosaline with these similarities to Petrarchan conventions in mind as he is able to successfully critique the discourse of desire through the growth of Romeo in the play and the introduction of Juliet. Shakespeare also relies on the fact that his audience are aware of ‘what’s in store’ for Romeo, allowing him to create a clichéd and conventional character - “The theatre audience knows that
They stumble that run fast” in the end of Act II Scene III. Friar Laurence is basically stating that Romeo shouldn’t rush anything otherwise, he would make a mistake. Secondly, Friar Laurence is very considerate. He is seen as the “peace maker” in the play when he marries Romeo and Juliet even though he thought that they weren’t really in love. All the Friar wanted to do was bring harmony to the feuding families.
Compare ways in which Shakespeare presents a character changing in Much Ado About Nothing and Macbeth. Shakespearean romantic comedies such as ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ feature one prominent aspect, complex love relationships amongst different pairs of characters, whereby the audience expects two or more characters to inevitably fall in love. Contrastingly, Shakespearean tragedies, like ‘Macbeth’, indulge in a noble and respected character changing into a tragic Hero, eventually resulting in his death. Similarly, one of the mutual features is the change in characters caused by external influences, whereby Leonato, Don Pedro and Claudio influence Benedick to love Beatrice, whilst the witches and Lady Macbeth influence Macbeth to kill the king; as other characters pursue this change, these changes are inevitable. 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.
This is used in the previous scene when Romeo and Juliet marry in secret by Friar Lawrence. The language used in this scene is also very important and is linked to the character development of Romeo and Mercutio. Mercutio went from being a light-hearted comical person, 'one word with one of us"... Make it a word and a blow'. His attitude is the complete opposite once he is injured by Tybalt 'a plague a both houses'. Romeo went from being a very romantic soft-hearted person and not reacting from Tybalt's threats and pleading not to fight 'good Capulet, which name I tender as dearly as my own, be satisfied'.
241-243). Do quips, taunts and harsh written words stop a man from getting what he wants? Of course not! By the use of “paper bullets of the brain” we create an image words shooting like bullets, mercilessly teasing him but it still will not keep him from changing his mind about marriage. Shakespeare uses diction and imagery to oversee the transformation in Benedick as defends his former hatred towards marriage by deciding that people can change overtime.
Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” is a story of two lovers that ends in tragedy. It is well known for being a romantic piece with an inherited conflict and a macabre ending. Many uses of figurative language enhance the experience of reading the play. Whether it is providing a new perception of the story, creating a scene in the reader’s head, or making the entire play sound in the poetic tone, the devices used by Shakespeare heighten the senses while reading the story. With the use of light and dark images and the themes of love and death, Shakespeare paints a vivid picture in the reader’s head that helps them to better understand it.
Shakespeare echoes key thematic topics by the production of a series of lies that form intro deception at crucial moments. When Hero and Ursula exit and leave Beatrice alone, Beatrice declares, “…Benedick, love on; I will requite thee, taming my wild heart to thy loving hand” (III. i. 117-118). Beatrice expresses her acceptance of Benedick’s love but does not realize the love inside Beatrice exists artificially.
It is also effective in describing its protagonist so that the reader can envision them before getting deep into the play. Conflict is displayed between Beatrice and Benedick. They call each other nicknames and also insult one another. As the scene progresses, Claudio displays how much he admires Hero. He wishes she could eventually become his wife because she is beautiful and compassionate.