Romeo And Juliet

1. Consider the parallels between the play Romeo and Juliet and the film Shakespeare in Love as regards the development of the love story and comment on them.
NOTE: This question does not ask you to make a list of the similarities and the differences but to sum up in 150 words how you think both texts connect with each other. What does the film tell us about the play?

Severalparallels can be found between the film and play. In fact, watching the movie Shakespeare in love while I was reading Romeo & Juliet, I, in some cases, confused Romeo with the Shakespeare of the film.

The film presents a “Shakespeare in love”, who thanks to his strong feelings for Viola was able to write a play that thrilled everyone attending the theater, even the Queen of England. As themovie explains, Shakespeare was in love with a girl before he met Viola de Lesseps at a ball, the same way Romeo is madly in love with Rosaline until he sees Juliet. Secondly, the two female protagonists are from a wealthy family and their parents arrange their marriages to an aristocrat. Neither Viola de Lesseps nor Juliet can do anything against this decision, so they end up meeting their loversin secret. Shakespeare (the one from the movie) seems to have the need to love to write the play. Perhaps he had to feel that pure love to show it to us.

2. Find a passage in the play Romeo and Juliet which, in your opinion, proves that the tragedy is caused by fate and not just human passions (or that proves just the opposite!) Comment on it.
NOTE: Include the passage you have selectedfrom the text in your answer. Quote act, scene and line number. Make sure you do comment on the words in the passage for your answer.

Act V, Escene II
Verona. Friar Lawrence’s cell
Enter Friar John
Friar John: Holy Franciscan friar, brother, ho!
Enter Friar Lawrence
Friar Lawrence: This same should be the voice of Friar John.
Welcome from Mantua. What says Romeo? Or, ifhis mind be writ, give me his letter.
Friar John: Going to find a barefoot brother out,
One of our order, to associate me,
Here in this city visiting the sick,
And finding him, the searchers of the town,
Suspecting that we both were in a house
Where the infectious pestilence did reign,
Sealed up the doors, and would not let us forth,
So that my speed to Mantua there was stayed.Friar Lawrence: Who bare my letter then to Romeo?
Friar John: I could not send it –here it is again-
Nor get a messenger to bring it thee,
So fearful were they of the infection.
Friar Lawrence: Unhappy fortune! By
My brotherhood,
The letter was not nice, but full of charge,
Of dear import; and the neglecting it
May do much danger. Friar John, go hence,
Get me an iron crow andbring it straight
Unto my cell.

From this passage, we see how the tragedy was caused by fate. The love between Romeo and Juliet, despite being rushed, would be feasible if the circumstances had not been so unfavorable.

If Friar John had been able to deliver the letter to Romeo, instead of staying stuck in the house of the sick (Sealed up the doors, and would not let us forth(v.11)), Romeo would have known that Juliet was not dead and the plan had worked. As Friar Lawrence says (Unhappy fortune!), fortune played a trick on them. To me, this is the very beginning of the tragedy. While Friar John was locked up, Balthasar ran to tell Romeo about Juliet's death. After that, Romeo bought a poison and arrived to the monument of the Capulets before the Friar, so he could’twarn Romeo. And, to top it all, Julieta woke up shortly after he died.

It was a very passionate and premature love, but they didn’t kill themselves for love, but for the pain they suffered because of the other’s death.

3. Find a passage in the play Romeo and Juliet which, in your opinion, proves that Romeo and Juliet are mature enough to embark in their passionate love story (or that...