Examples Of Duality In Romeo And Juliet

Shakespeare: Playing with Duality in Romeo and Juliet
Life is an experience impossible to encapsulate in one word. It is a complex, ever-changing sequence people find themselves in every day. William Shakespeare knew this and throughout his many plays, he displays the duality of life and human emotions. In Romeo and Juliet, conflicting ideas relating to love and death are shown, enhanced by the duality of words that Shakespeare uses. The play centers on Romeo and Juliet’s ill-fated love story, with the Montagues’ and Capulets’ long-standing feud causing the pair to never be together publicly, doomed to hiding away in the shadows. Over the course of a ball, a hidden marriage by a hopeful friar, and many hasty decisions, the two end up killing

Shakespeare illustrates this through Capulet’s fatherly love for Juliet that leads to a devastating dilemma and the joy found in Romeo and Juliet’s short-lived secret marriage. Early in the play, readers learn that Juliet’s cousin, Tybalt, and Romeo bicker constantly. One summer day, a fight escalates between the two, ending with Tybalt dead and Romeo banished. Juliet is distraught over Romeo, her husband, being banished and wallows in her grief at the idea of never seeing him again. Capulet sees this and mistakes it for grief over Tybalt, then promptly arranges for Juliet’s wedding to Paris to draw her out of her misery. This fatherly love is highlighted because Capulet is putting aside his own grieving in an attempt to bring joy to his daughter. After sending Lady Capulet to announce this joyful news to Juliet and Lady Capulet being met with adversity, he goes to Juliet himself. She rudely denies his request, and Capulet launches into rage, saying, “I tell thee what: get thee to church o’ Thursday/ or never after look me in the face” (3.5.167-68). While Capulet’s love is fueling his actions for Juliet, it is expressed harshly, showing the darkness that love contains. Like many parents, Capulet just wants what is best for his daughter and is frustrated when she does not see that he is acting in her best interest and wanting her

Not only does the death of Romeo and Juliet serve as a grave consequence for the Capulets’ and Montagues’ feud, but it also is an olive branch between the families. After Juliet drinks the potion and appears to be dead, Friar Lawrence begins the funeral ceremony. Upon hearing Juliet’s family lamenting about her death and cursing death, the friar tells them that Juliet is in a better place. The Friar is aligning with the Chrisitan belief that there is another life after death more glorious than this one. He says, “Now heaven hath all, and the better is it for the maid” (4.5.73-74). Christians believe death is just an entryway to a life fully united with Christ and Friar Lawrence affirms this. This full unification is cause for celebration because the person is finally experiencing true happiness with God. However, death can also be like standing at the end of a cliff and being pushed into the waters of grief all at once, swallowed by a sea of tears. When the story of Romeo and Juliet’s marriage and death comes out, the Prince states, “heaven finds means to kill your joys with love” (5.3.303). The blunt statement reveals how death is a dagger, using love to silence the family's joys, their children, forever. Although the children’s death ultimately brings the two feuding families together, there are still two families left