Suicide

At the end of Shakespeare’s play, both Romeo and Juliet end up committing suicide over believing one another is dead, but is this really the right way? Near the end of the play, Juliet fakes her own death so that she didn't have to marry Paris. When Romeo heard of Juliet's 'death', he obtained an illegal poison so that he could be in heaven with her as soon as possible as he couldn't bear to live without her. Romeo drinks the poison that he purchased, and he kisses Juliet, after which he says that the poison works quickly, and that he will die with a kiss. "O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die." (Act 5, Scene 3, 121-122) To inform the audience of the suicide, or that something bad such as suicide were to happen at the end, Shakespeare used the foreshadowing technique. It is as though Shakespeare had written this part to say that it is ok to kill yourself if you are in love or lust with another person. 

Love vs. Lust

Throughout the world, readers of Romeo and Juliet have interpreted it as a story of either lust or love. Shakespeare had used several techniques to show that Romeo and Juliet are not in love, but in lust. In the play, Romeo and Juliet had fallen in love with each other only by their beauty in only a few minutes without actually physically meeting each other. This wouldn't happen in real life as someone cannot just fall in love in just a few minutes without actually knowing that person, and just immediately fall in love by just their looks. In the play, Romeo describes Juliet as being so bright that she teaches the torches to shine just like her. “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright! It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night like a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear; beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear! So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows, as yonder lady o'er her fellows shows. The measure done, I'll watch her place of stand, and touching hers, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night. (Act I, Scene 5, 38-41)”. In Act 2, Romeo proposes to Juliet, only after meeting her a few hours before. They both act carelessly; they both marry too quickly which leads to problems. Love is always patient, and slow, however lust is always quick paced. There are several techniques utilised by Shakespeare in this play that portray lust between Romeo and Juliet. These are dramatic irony, the way that Romeo speaks of Juliet, such as comparing her to light, and the foreshadowing of their fate afterwards. Shakespeare has written Romeo and Juliet, not as a love story, but a lust story. 

Romeo and Juliet extended response

In Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet, we have seen different representations of love. There are numerous foreshadowing examples that are present throughout the play; some are said by the chorus, and others are said by the characters themselves. At the beginning of the play, the chorus tell the audience that there are two people that have fallen in love will both kill themselves, which tells the audience that fate controls everything, as well as giving an insight into what will happen later in the play. “A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their lives;” (Act 1, Prologue, 6) In Romeo and Juliet, the character Mercutio doesn't seem to believe in love for another woman, instead he just feels that a woman is like a sex object, he just cares about the physical side of it and nothing else. “I conjure thee by Rosaline’s bright eyes, by her high forehead and her scarlet lip, by her fine foot, straight leg, and quivering thigh, and the demesnes that there adjacent lie, that in thy likeness thou appear to us!” (Act 2, Scene 1, 19-23). At the beginning of the play, Romeo sees love as this horrible torture, as he has fallen deeply in love with a girl that won’t love him back. “Not mad, but bound more than a madman is; shut up in prison, kept without my food, whipt and tormented, and-God-den, good fellow.” (Act 1, Scene 2, 50-52) However, we see a transformation of Romeo’s views for love when he meets Juliet. “The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand, and touching her, make blessed my rude hand. Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.” (Act 1, Scene 5, 44-47) When Romeo and Juliet first talk to each other, Shakespeare used a Shakespearean sonnet, which is a love poem from lines 90-97. Shakespeare then used a broken Shakespearean sonnet from lines 98-101, to show the true romance and positive love that Romeo and Juliet have. One technique used in Romeo and Juliet is motifs. In Act 1, Scene 2, line 25, a star motive is used by Capulet, where he creates imagery of heaven and stars.  

Creating empathy - Diary entry response

9/10/12

Dearest diary, today I have just the worst news from my family that anyone would want to hear - they would disown me if I break up with this boy I like!! And my friends aren't helping the situation because they are telling me if I keep on seeing him, they will just stop being my friends. I thought family and friends were supposed to support one another, not turn on them and decide to completely isolate them over something, especially over a boy! I'm finding it very hard to make new friends, especially being the 'plankton' on the bottom of the school food chain (luckily I found my friends while I did). I'm feeling it harder to express myself to most of my friends, but it's harder to try and even speak to my parents. Ever since they found out about this boy, they act like they only have a son. I'm so glad I will be out of this jail-house in 2 years! My parents have had a few massive fights over the last few months, but with them both agreeing that I should dump Jonathan,I think their relationship has grown stronger! Jonathan is an amazing, sweet man, however my parents aren't seeing the kind man I love, instead they see a booze drinking guy who hangs out with a lowlife rude gang. I just wish they wouldn't force me to choose between my first true love and my so called supportive family and friends. What am I going to do? 

Notes on PDF documents

Expectations of daughters in Elizabethan England

·         The best portion, the greatest inheritance and the most precious jewel that they can take with them on their wedding day is shamefastnes (the want whereof is most hurtful in all women)

·         Women must carefully avoid sluggish and nasty talk, nice looks, flirtation and light expression when they walk abroad or be in company

·         No man will look for any other thing of a women but her honesty

·         If you take everything away from a maid or woman (such as beauty and wealth) and give her chastity, you would have given her everything. If her chastity is taken away and is given everything else, she would be called a wore or naughty pack  

17^th Century rules regarding marriage

·         Ministers were not allowed to marry anyone without banners or licence

·         Ministers were only allowed to marry couples between 8 and 12 in the forenoon

·         Ministers cannot marry two people in a private place, only in the said churches or chapels where one of them dwells

·         The people getting married are not allowed to be under the age of 21

Marriage Customs

·         When a daughter turns 7, the father will have help from his tenants to marry her

·         When the daughter turns 9, she is able to deserve and have dower

·         When the daughter turns 12, she is allowed to marry

·         A woman married at 12 cannot disagree afterwards, however if she is married before 12, then she can disagree until the age of 14  

·         The first promising and inception of marriage is in 2 parts – part 1 is when a man and woman bind themselves by their word only to contract matrimony thereafter. Part 2 is when an oath is made

·         Chastity is the major feature of a woman – if she doesn’t have it then no man would marry her 

Discussion questions - love story

Outline the subject matter of the poem? The subject matter of the poem is of two people that glance at each other, and have a 'love at first sight' moment. This song is based on the story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, where they look into each other's eyes and fall in love with each other. In the song, the line "See you make your way through the crowd, and say hello, little did I know" suggests that they had no intention of meeting each other, but they had somehow caught each other's eyes. In the film clip, Juliet is talking with some friends, and Romeo is walking to her. When Juliet turns around, their eyes meet and they instantly feel a connection with each other. 

Why is the poem entitled “Love Story”? Use evidence from the lyrics to support the titles significance and relevance. The poem is entitled "Love Story" because it recounts a journey of two people that had met and fell in love, however they couldn't be together as their were numerous boundaries stopping them. The line "And my daddy said stay away from Juliet" suggests that Juliet's father did not feel that Romeo was good enough for his little girl. The lines "Romeo, save me, they're trying to tell me how to feel. This love is difficult, but it's real" shows that this isn't a fairy tale, but that this real and the love they are feeling for each other is real, however it is a struggle, like in a lot of love stories. 

Describe the relationship between the two characters. Who are they? The two characters in the song are based on Shakespeare's characters, Romeo and Juliet. The relationship between Romeo and Juliet is that they are in love during the beginning of the song, "You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess", however near the end Juliet starts to think differently as she begins to feel that he had forgotten about her and has left her without saying anything, "I got tired of waiting, wondering if you were ever coming around. My faith in you was fading...Romeo save me, I've been feeling so alone". However Romeo surprises her by coming back for her, and asks for her hand in marriage, "Marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone. I love you and that's all I really know". 

What evidence is there to suggest that these lovers have to overcome obstacles in their relationship? One piece of evidence that suggests that these lovers have to overcome certain obstacles is that Romeo has to prove to Juliet's father that he is the right man for his girl, "And my daddy said stay away from Juliet". Juliet loves Romeo too much to not see him, however she was forbidden to see him, so they had to sneak out and secretly meet up, "So I sneak out to the garden to see you. We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew".

What themes and issues are explored in the lyrics and through the video clip? The themes and issues that are explored in the lyrics and through the video clip are love, journey, heartbreak and acceptance. Love is shown in many ways throughout the video clip and lyrics, but one example is when Juliet says, "And I was crying on the staircase begging you please don't go" which suggests that she doesn't want Romeo to leave, but to stay with her as she has strong feelings for him. Journey is shown through the video clip by showing Juliet and Romeo going through different events so that they could be together, and near the end, they are running for each other like they are at the very end of their journey. Heartbreak is shown when Juliet is feeling upset as she thinks Romeo has left her for good, and will not come back, "My faith in you was fading". Acceptance is shown in the lyrics when Romeo says that Juliet's father has finally agreed for him to marry Juliet, "I talked to your dad, you'll pick out a white dress".

How does the “Love story” end for Romeo and Juliet in the song? Is this how it ends for the Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet? Why does Taylor Swift end her song this way? What perspective is she writing from and why would they want the story to end this way? The ending for "Love story" is that they get married and are able to live happily ever after, with Juliet's father approving of the marriage, "He knelt to the ground and he pulled out a ring and said marry me, Juliet, you'll never have to be alone...I talked to your dad, you'll pick out a white dress". This isn't the same ending for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, because instead of being able to live happily ever after with the parents accepting the marriage, they end up dying as they feel that they can't live with each other (Romeo thinks Juliet is dead and vice versa). Taylor Swift wants to end her song this way to show that there can be happy endings, and that love is not always a tragedy. From this song, she shows that there can be a special someone out there that is worth fighting for. She is writing from the perspective of the girl that is portrayed as Juliet. Taylor Swift would want the story of Romeo and Juliet the way her song did because she may not feel that this would be quite accurate, and that this story should show the happiness and adventure that love has, without a tragic ending.