Compassion In Romeo And Juliet And The Book Thief

The quote above by Matshona Dhliwayo demonstrates how easy it is to act in spite but that the true difficulty comes when one must show genuine compassion. However, some inspirational people must not even think twice before actively showing this outstanding virtue. In Romeo and Juliet, Friar Lawrence and the Nurse exemplify this as they daringly assist the two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, despite dishonoring the decades-old family feud. Similarly, in The Book Thief, Hans Hubermann and Liesel Meminger fearlessly exemplify kindness towards the dehumanized Jews. According to William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, people should relate to others with courageous benevolence, which inspires me to recognize

After the Nurse speaks with Romeo she hurries back to the Capulet house to inform Juliet of her lover’s idea and tells her, “Hie you to church. I must go another way/To fetch a ladder, by which you love/Must climb a bird’s nest soon when it is dark” (II.v.77-79). The Nurse demonstrates her devotion to Juliet as she expresses her desire to find “another way” (II.v.77) to help the young lovers spend their wedding night together and by doing so risks losing her job. She understands the true passion Romeo and Juliet have for each other and does everything she can to make them happy even if that means upsetting their families. This teaches the reader that helping those you love is more important than doing something that does not align with your own morals, like separating two star-crossed lovers because of a centuries-old family

As Hans sees the starving Jews marching through Molching about to collapse he watches as, “The Jew stood before him, expecting another handful of derision, but he watched with everyone else as Hans Hubermann held his hand out and presented a piece of bread, like magic” (Zusak 394). Hans knew that his actions would put him at great risk but, as the Jews initial expectation of “derision” (Zusak 394) demonstrated how desperately he required Hans’s help, he understood that he had to do the right thing. This act of true kindness illuminates to the reader that in order to relate to those around us we must be willing to perform the necessary actions to assist those in need, even if others do not. I can apply this virtue to my own life by following Mr. Huberman’s example and supporting the less fortunate and unreasonable punished by assisting the homeless and anyone who is mocked or bullied for their beliefs. Another representation of this virtue is exemplified by Liesel who never gave up on Max as she spent her time by his side as he lay unconsciously in his bed, “Every day, Liesel read two chapters of the book… Sometimes she would fall asleep slumped forward onto the side of the bed. It became her mission. She gave The