Romeo And Juliet Violence Essay

Romeo and Juliet vividly illustrate the brutal violence that humanity endures and the gender expectations that men are considered superior. The play also deeply explores humanity's belief in fate and free will. The characters, especially men, are depicted as aggressive, often resorting to violence in any conflict. This violence underscores the rigid gender roles and societal expectations, highlighting the constraints and pressures faced by both men and women in Elizabethan society. Shakespeare reflects the values and attitudes of Elizabethan society through his Christian beliefs of fate and free will, evident in the two star-crossed lovers Romeo and Juliet. These two lovers attempt to defy the prophecy made during the beginning of the play,

And in their triumph die, like fire and powder Which, as they kiss, consume” Warning the lovesick Romeo that Is capturing the violent consequences of the human propensity towards Juliet. Such aggression is amplified by Mercutio’s death, which causes Romeo intense grief that sheds the restraints of logical thinking. The personification in, “Away to heaven respective lenity, and fire eyed fury be my conduct now!”, exposes Romeo's impulsivity as he believes he has been stripped of his peaceful qualities reinforcing this inevitability of humanity's differentiating into a primal and doomed state. The tragic consequences of violence are fluttered as Mercutio is slain by Tybalt under Romeo’s arm. Mercutio condemns the violence of the two houses as he uses the metaphor ‘’They have made worms,’’ ‘meat of me’. Which compares his existence to that of dirt, as he will soon die, reinforcing that reckless violence leads to immense destruction and dehumanization. Such embedded aspects of Elizabethan human nature reflect Shakespeare’s Christian beliefs about the fall of

You tallow-face!” This suggests that Juliet is the excess weight he has to carry, a spoiled and ugly daughter who is nothing more than baggage. This elaborates on how, in the Elizabethan era, fathers had complete ownership over their daughters, and Juliet's worth was only determined by her ability to do his bidding.Lord Capulet threatens to disown Juliet if she does not marry Paris, using threatening language in the quote: “And you be mine, I'll give you to my friend; And you be not, hang, beg, starve, die in the streets, for, by my soul, I'll never acknowledge thee.” He cautions Juliet that if she does of girls and women to marry young or face dire consequences.Lady Capulet tells her husband that Juliet has rejected his command, using a metaphor in the quote: “I would the fool were married to her grave!” This reflects that Juliet's own mother would wish for her death due to her lack of obedience, demonstrating that, in Elizabethan times, women had to obey patriarchal commands or face severe