Act 1 Scene 5 Of William Shakespeare's Romeo And Juliet

Romeo and Juliet, a Shakespearean tragedy of two young lovers. Romeo and Juliet is a classic play. Although written in the 1500s, Shakespeare uses countless concepts and themes in his writing to appeal to and allow any audience to engage with the text. From the themes of young romance to the struggles of keeping up with a familial appearance, Shakespeare’s work continues to be recognised and understood by all audiences.

The way Shakespeare constructed Romeo and Juliet shows their deep love and commitment for each other, even as soon as their first meeting. Even after knowing they are from conflicting families, they still continued to pursue their love for each other. In Act 1, Scene 5, Romeo says “Did my heart love till now? I never saw true

Romeo and Juliet is set in a time where society is patriarchal, having the males run everything. The males of the families have the say in all things and are required to protect their family image. Romeo and Juliet both deny this authority in their family, refusing to comply with their fathers’ wishes. When Juliet is talking about Romeo in the balcony scene, she talks about refusing their names. Juliet says “Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love and I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” This motif of the names Capulet and Montague conveys how she would rather them both give up their family and identity than to not be with each other, highlighting Juliet’s dismissal and defiance to her family. Furthermore, the idea that the authority is expected to be listened to is shown when Lord Capulet believes that Juliet will listen and obey his demands about Paris, who she was to marry. He states “I think she will be ruled in all respects by me.”, in which Shakespeare is making Lord Capulet unknowingly foreshadowing the coming events. This quote conveys how it is expected of her to listen and follow orders from her father, although she does later defy him. Her later defiance and Lord Capulet’s anger towards this emphasises the roles males had in the patriarchal society that Romeo and Juliet was written in. Romeo is one of the first to defy authority. Although being