Republic of the Philippines

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

Gov. Pablo Borbon Campus I, Batangas City, Philippines 4200
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Tel. No. 980-0385 local 1125

Tragedy Analysis of William Shakespears’:

Romeo and Juliet

A Tragedy Analysis
presented to
Dr. Matilda H. Dimaano
Professor

In Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirement for the Course
PHILO 604- PHILOSOPHY OF TRAGEDY

Submitted by:
ESTRELLA H. PICCIO

May, 2021
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 Republic of the Philippines
BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
Pablo Borbon Main I, Batangas City

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE STORY

Many years ago in Verona, Italy, there lived two families who hated one another. The
Montagues and Capulets had been carrying on a feud for as long as they could remember.
Morris (1985) mentioned about the beginning of the play that “Capulet intends to marry
his only daughter Juliet to the Prince's kinsman, Paris. But she and Romeo, a young
Montague, fall in love at first sight, and persuade Friar Lawrence to marry them
immediately. As he returns from his wedding Romeo is challenged by the quarrelsome
Tybalt, a Capulet, but refuses to fight his new kinsman. Romeo's friend Mercutio fights
instead, and is slain. Romeo avenges Mercutio by killing Tybalt, and is banished by the
Prince.”
Actually, Juliet loves Romeo and praises his love in songs sometimes, but Capulet does
not want to do so. So the beginning of hate and jealousness starts from this moment. As
further stated by Morris (1985) that “Capulet proceeds with his plan to marry Juliet to
Paris. Friar Lawrence tries to prevent this by supplying Juliet with a drug which will
make her appear dead for forty- two hours; meanwhile he will send for Romeo to rescue
her. The messenger is delayed; Romeo learns only that Juliet is dead, and determines to
die with her. The mourning Paris tries to prevent Romeo breaking into Juliet's tomb, and
is slain. Romeo poisons himself, and the waking Juliet, finding him dead, stabs herself
with his dagger. The Montague and Capulet parents are reconciled, but to no purpose, for
all the younger generation are dead.”
After the death of their lovely Romeo and Juliet, it is meaningless for the Montague
and Capulet to be in grief, because of that they cannot compensate this disaster with
sorrow and they were the only reason prevented Romeo and Juliet to marry for having a
lovely life ahead.

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 I. Introduction:

Literature is the art of expressing emotions and feelings as the way they are.
Literary figures usually express these through some of the genres in the field (literature)
as mainly; fiction, non-fiction and play. These genres include various types of its
subtypes as well. Plays are being performed on the stages in theatres for the audience to
convey the main message (that is called theme in literature) about the way of life being
drawn by playwright or it is directly related to the writer’s emotions regarding to a
particular individual and social effect hidden behind the theme of a play. Shakespeare’s
artistic works, poetry and plays, have been known as the famous ones of him with having
highest artistic qualities in the field of literature and among others: Romeo and Juliet is
known as William Shakespeare’s famous play worldwide.
Romeo and Juliet is a tragic love story between two young people. A tragedy is
defined is a composition of serious actions that are imitated, have a great importance and
complete, applies an appropriate and pleasurable language. It is given in form of a
narrative and not a drama, it has incidences which has an arousing fear and pity and
finally, it aims at accomplishing a catharsis of the specific emotions of the audience.
A tragic figure is one who is popular and more prosperous in accordance with the events
that take place. A tragic figure is one that is neither good nor just but is the one who’s his
misfortune will be determined by some kind of error or frailty but not depravity. A
character that has human virtues, and is accompanied misfortunes and errors in judgment
will always remain in a glorious position and he is considered a tragic figure (Curran &
Angela29).
II. Objectives
Generally, the main objective of this study is to describe the characters in
relation to the following elements of tragedy.
1.1. Tragic Hero;
1.2. Struggle between good and evil;
1.3. Hamartia;
1.4. External Conflict;
1.5. Internal Conflict;
1.6. Supplemental Elements;
1.7. Lack of Poetic Justice; and
1.8. Comic relief.
2. Analyse the philosophical concepts embodied in tragedy.

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3. Trace the philosophical implications in person’s life of the novel.
III. Methodology:
A descriptive and hermeneutic analysis was utilized by the researcher in this study. Since
the goal of description means to interprets the text and content relating to the
psychological condition of the major character, while hermeneutic interprets the script to
find out the intension of the playwright, Nazrullah Mambrol (November 23, 2016).
The researcher reckoned it Hermeneutics, in its broadest sense, describes the
interpretation of meanings – explication, analysis, commentary. In the nineteenth century,
hermeneutics came to be considered as a general theory of interpretation applied to texts
of all description. Wilhelm Dilthey (1833- 1911), the German philosopher,
developed Friedrich Schleiermacher‘s idea of the “hermeneutic circle” – the paradox
which emerges from the fact that the reader cannot understand any part of the text until
the whole is understood, while the whole cannot be understood until the parts are
understood. 

IV. Results and Discussion

To address the objective of the study, their names and identity were selected and
listed on the table below in relation the descriptions of the characters to the elements of
tragedy . G. Lipson & S. Lipson (2007) expressed that “of the 37 plays written by
William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet is the play that appeals most strongly to young
people. Although it was written in the language of another century, the conflicts in this
play are timeless. Both the consuming urgency of Romeo and Juliet’s love and the ill-
fated couple’s defiance of their parents evoke a strong sense of identification from
today’s teenager.” It makes that clearer that Romeo and Juliet is not only a play that
people enjoyed in the earlier times, but its joyfulness is still remaining for today, because
of the story inside the play can be still applied on the loves of many other couples at this
time.
This comedy is structured in tragic manner that makes readers and audience cry that
shows the artistic talent of William Shakespeare for connecting all the events in the play
as a chain of suspense till the end of it.
1. Description of Characters in the Elements of
1.1 Tragic hero.
Romeo is a tragic hero. Romeo is spiritually wounded by his experiences, mainly his
relationships. He has very strong emotions, which make him move very fast in

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relationships (marrying Juliet so quickly). He is also wounded when he sees Juliet in the
tomb, so much, that he kills himself.

Matrix 1: Description of Characters as to Tragic Hero

Character/s Fate Tragic Flaw Quoted Lines
Romeo  He had a dream  Portrayed as a  “From forth
that Juliet finds sensitive, witty and the fatal loins
him dead. This intelligent of these two
is individual, Romeo foes”
foreshadowing 's tragic flaw is
to the already that his passion, at  “A pair of
destined event times, contributes star-crossed
these two lovers to violent lovers take
will soon face - outbursts. Two of their life
death. This is an these outbursts (Prologue)
example of fate result in the
that has a role in untimely
the lives of and tragic deaths
Romeo and of Tybalt and
Juliet; it is Paris.
something that
they cannot
control.  I fear too
Romeo's authentic love early, for my
 Romeo learned
for Juliet is his mind
that Juliet is
redeeming grace. misgives;
dead.
 His flaw is hyper- Some
emotional and consequence,
obsessive love yet hanging in
for Juliet and the stars,Shall
it leads to Romeo' bitterly begin
s downfall (1.4)
because he kills
himself while

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 thinking
of Juliet being
dead. 
 Falling in "love" with
Juliet within minutes
of meeting her, even
after finding out that
she was a Capulet.
 “Romeo,
Juliet's fatal flaw is  Her loyalty to Romeo. come forth,
Juliet her impulsiveness She loves him and is come forth,
so loyal to him that thou fearful
she could not bear to man.
live without him. So Affliction is
when Romeo died, she enamoured of
had to die as well--to thy part,
be forever with him. And thou art
wedded to
calamity. (3.3.1-
4)”
Friar
 For this
Laurence  He recognized  He is blinded by his
alliance may
the temperament goal to bring peace to
so happy
of a person as a Verona.
prove, To turn
strong
your
contributing
households’
factor to the
rancor to pure
actions of a
love. (II.iv)
person.
“
1.2 Struggle between good and evil.
The conflict between good and evil is one of the most common conventional themes
in literature and is sometimes considered to be a universal part of the human condition.
There are several variations on this conflict, one being the battle between individuals or
ideologies, with one side held up as Good, while the other is portrayed as Evil. Another

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variation is the inner struggle in characters (and, by extension, humans in reality)
between good and evil.

Matrix 2: Description of Characters as to Struggle Between Good and Evil

Character/s Struggle Between Good and Quoted Line/s

Evil
Benvolio Benvolio,good, is trying to "Part fools”
keep the peace but the fiery
Tybalt,evil, is just starting up
the fight again.
Tybalt "Turn thee, Benvolio; look
upon thy death (1.1)
Romeo Here, Tybalt is trying to start "Tybalt the kinsmen to old
something with the nonviolent Capulet, hath sent a letter to
Romeo demonstrates the Good his father's house. “Romeo
vs. Evil motif. Tybalt and will answer it.”
Tybalt Mercutio are always getting in
Romeo's head. This does not
allow Romeo to focus/see Juliet
which may and probably will
cause Romeo's depression
which may contribute to
Romeo's suicide.
Mercutio Here Good vs. Evil is "Nay gentle Romeo, we must
demonstrated because have you dance”
Romeo Mercutio, even though he is a "Not I, believe me”
Montague like Romeo, he is
pressuring Romeo to do
something that may not have
been good at the time. This
backs up my statement through
the play, Mercutio and Tybalt
are trying to get in Romeo’s
head.
Tybalt  This is the scene where "Thou, wretched boy, that

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 Mercutio and Tybalt get in a didst consort him here, shalt
fight and when Romeo is with him hence."
trying to stop them, the hate
for each other(Good vs.
Evil) had them continue
fighting and eventually had
Mercutio killed.  "This letter doth make
 This quote then describes good the friar's words,
the afterward of that fight their coarsen of love, the
when Romeo fight his tidings of her death; and
cousin-in law Tybalt killing here he writes that he did
him resulting in Romeo's buy a poison of a poor
banishment. This last quote apothecary and
is a very special one therewithal came to this
because it shows the result vault to die and lie with
of Good vs. Evil. This is the Juliet. Where be these
summary of Romeo's letter enemies? Capulet,
which tells of his love for Montague, see what a
Juliet, his wife. scourge is laid upon your
hate, that heaven finds
means to kill your joys
with love, and I, for
winking at your discords
too, have lost a brace of
kinsmen. All are
punished."

1.3 Hamartia.
Hamartia is a literary device that reflects a character’s tragic or fatal flaw, or mistake in
judgment, that ultimately leads to their downfall. This term originated with Aristotle as a
means of describing an error or frailty that brings about misfortune for a tragic hero.
Hamartia, as a concept, is closely related to and interchangeable with the term tragic flaw,
as they both lead to the downfall of a protagonist in a tragedy. However, hamartia can
also be interpreted as a mistake based on outside circumstances rather than a character’s
personal frailty.

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Matrix 3: Description of Characters as to Hamartia

Character/s Flaw/Hamartia Quoted Lines

Romeo Romeo's tragic flaw is  Tis but thy name that is my enemy.
his impetuosity, his Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
rashness of action What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
before thinking Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
thoroughly.  Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other word would smell as sweet.
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
As a rich jewel in an Ethiop's ear—
Beauty too rich for use, for Earth too dear (1.5.51–54).

 Falling in "love"  “Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!
with Juliet within For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night. (I.v.55-56)”
minutes of "My life is my foe’s debt" (I.v.129).
meeting her, even
after finding out
that she was a
Capulet.

 Forgetting about
Rosaline within  O Romeo, Romeo,
minutes of wherefore art thou Romeo?
meeting Juliet,
though he had
been depressed for
weeks due to his
unrequited love.

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 Leaving his  “I pray thee, good Mercutio, let's retire.
friends after the The day is hot; the Capulets, abroad;
Capulet ball and And if we meet we shall not 'scape a brawl,
climbing back into For now, these hot days, is the mad blood stirring.”
the Capulet
compound, where
he would be killed
if discovered.

 Swearing his love  “I'm begging you, good Mercutio, let's call it a day.
for Juliet during It's hot outside, and the Capulets are wandering
the balcony scene, around. If we bump into them, we'll certainly get into
and asking her to a fight. When it's hot outside, people become angry
marry him. and hotblooded.”

 Lying to the friar

to get him to
 “Deny thy father and refuse thy name.
marry the couple
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
by implying that
And I’ll no longer be a Capulet.” (II.ii.36-38)
he had sex with
Juliet the night
before. The friar
then felt obligated
to "erase" that sin
by marrying them
after the fact (as
well as to end the
feud).

 Holding Mercutio 
 “hold, daughter, I do spy a kind of hope, which
back craves desperate and execution as that is desperate
before Benvolio h which we would prevent. If rather that marry county

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 ad the chance to Paris, thou hast the strength of will to slay thyself,
do the same with then it is likely thou wilt undertake” (4.1, 68). What
Tybalt, allowing friar Laurence is doing is he is giving Juliet

Tybalt to stab something called ‘vile

Mercutio "under
[Romeo's] arm."

 Killing Tybalt in
 Come on, you can be as angry as any guy in Italy
anger despite
when you're in the mood. When someone does the
knowing the
smallest thing to make you angry, you get angry. And
consequences,
when you're in the mood to get angry, you find
which should have
something to get angry about.
been execution.

 Threatening to kill
 I do protest, I never injured thee,
himself with a
But love thee better than thou canst devise
dagger after the
Till thou shalt know the true reason of my love;
friar informs him
And so, good Capulet,-- which name I tender
that he is
As dearly as mine own,-- be satisfied (3.1.70-4).
banished, not
sentenced to
death.

 There is no world without Verona walls

 Buying poison
But purgatory, torture, hell itself.
from the
Hence “banishèd” is “banished from the world,”
apothecary,
And world’s exile is death. Then “banishèd”
bullying him into
Is death mistermed. Calling death “banishèd,”
accepting the
Thou cutt’st my head off with a golden ax
money though the
And smilest upon the stroke that murders me.
sale of poison was
illegal and
punishable by

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 death.

 Killing Paris  "O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a
without even kiss I die."
knowing who he
was. Paris had
come to the
Capulet tomb to
innocently place
flowers for his
'dead' fiance. He
thought that
Romeo was there
to defile the crypt.

 Killing himself  Art thou so bare and full of wretchedness,

though he should And fearest to die? Famine is in thy cheeks;
have realized that Need and oppression starveth in thy eyes;
Juliet was alive. Contempt and beggary hangs upon thy back.
After two days, The world is not thy friend, nor the world’s law.
Juliet should not The world affords no law to make thee rich. (V.i.68–73)
have still had rosy
lips and supple
flesh. Romeo
notices this, but
cannot figure out “A dram of poison” (V.i.60), the Apothecary resists,
that she must be explaining that he could be put to death for selling
alive. He rashly deadly substances. “Such mortal drugs I have,” the
poisons himself Apothecary tells Romeo, “but Mantua’s law / Is death to
though she  any he that utters them” (V.i.66–67). 
awakened within
minutes.

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1.4 External Conflict.
One of Romeo's main external conflicts is of course between his powerful family, the
Montagues, and their chief rivals, the Capulets. While Romeo is in no way disloyal to his
family, he is disenchanted by the constant battles that break out so predictably between
the two families, battles that often end with grave injuries to both sides.

Another external conflict is between Romeo's family and the Prince of Verona, who has
commanded both families to desist from further skirmishes "upon pain of death." The
bloodletting between the two families naturally disturbs the peace of the city, disrupting
commerce and at times harming innocent citizens, while also blemishing the reputation of
Verona. When his family is once again battling the Capulets, Romeo is well aware of the
Prince's proscription against fighting, and fears both the wrath of the Prince and the
safety of his family.

Matrix 4: Description of Characters as to External Conflict

Character/s Type of External Conflict Quoted Lines

Romeo and Tybalt  At the Capulet party, the  “Patience perforce with
conflict between Romeo willful choler meeting 100
and Makes my flesh tremble in
their different greeting.”
Tybalt is established, though  I will withdraw, but this
Romeo remains greatly intrusion shall,
oblivious to the depths of Now seeming sweet, convert
Tybalt's hatred. When Tybalt to bitt’rest gall. (I.v.100–103)
realizes that a Montague has
crashed the Capulet party, he
vows revenge.
Tybalt  He agreed not to ruin his  If love be rough with you,
uncle's party, but he swears be rough with love.
that Romeo will pay for the Prick love for pricking, and
disrespect he has shown to you beat love down. (I.iv.27–
the Capulet family. 28)

 In lighter ways, Romeo also

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 creates conflict with his
friends because of his
incessant pining over
Rosaline. They want him to
move on and cheer up.
Mercutio chastises his
attitude, and Benvolio tells
him to toughen up:

1.5 Internal conflict.

Romeo's internal conflicts are shaped around his romantic interests and their shifting
landscapes. Romeo begins Act I extremely conflicted about his love for Rosaline, a
young woman who does not return his love. He bemoans that he is "Out of her favor,
where [he is] in love." Romeo is so aggrieved by this situation that he claims to "have lost
myself." This grief is magically lifted when Romeo's attention shifts to Juliet after seeing
her at a ball. Still, not all is fair in love: Juliet is a member of the rival Capulets, and
Romeo is now faced with a new internal conflict of whether and how to negotiate this
relationship across family lines. 

Internally, Romeo battles to maintain his romantic, passionate character in the face of the
obligation exerted by his family to carry on the grudge with the Capulets. There is part of
his character that desires peace with the young men loyal to the Capulets, sensing that the
feud between the two families has devolved into senseless violence that forever threatens
to poison each new generation of each family.

Matrix 5: Description of Characters as to Internal Conflict

Character/s Type of Internal Conflict Quoted Lines

Romeo  Most notably, Romeo is  One fairer than my
quite morose about love? The all-seeing
being rejected by sun
Rosaline. His friend Ne’er saw her match
Benvolio urges him to since first the world
attend the Capulet party begun. (I.ii.98–99)

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 so that he will realize
that there are plenty of
other beautiful women
to appreciate, but
Romeo remains
steadfast in his sense of
dejection.
Rosaline  Rosaline has told Romeo
that she would rather “Alas, that love, whose view is
remain chaste than to be muffled still,
in a relationship with Should without eyes see
him, so it's possible that pathways to his will” (1.1.)
Rosaline's elusiveness
further compels Romeo
to pursue her.

 When Romeo attended

the Capulet party, it isn't
Rosaline who catches
his eye. Instead, the “O dear account! My life is
young and beautiful my foe’s debt”. (I.v.132)
Juliet captivates Romeo
from the second he sees
her. The situation looks
promising until Juliet is
pulled away and her
Nurse tells Romeo that
she is Juliet Capulet.
Romeo is thus
conflicted: Already,
Juliet is his "life," and
he recognizes the "debt"
that he will owe for
falling in love with the
sworn enemy of his

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 family.

1.6 Supplemental elements.

Supplemental Conflicts are important to stories to make them interesting. There may
be outer, inner conflicts and supernatural conflict.
A character vs. supernatural conflict occurs when a character faces resistance from
a supernatural force, such as fate, magical forces, otherworldly beings, religion, or
dieties. (Though bear in mind that character vs. God can be its own type of conflict—
when God is a prevailing force that shapes a character’s journey, forcing him or her to
reckon with personally held religious beliefs.)

Matrix 6: Description of Characters as to Supernatural Phenomena

Character/s Supernatural Phenomena Quoted Lines
Mercutio  He is Romeo's loyal  “True, I talk of dreams,
comedic foil, who loses Which are the children of an
his life in a duel in order idle brain, Begot of nothing
to protect the Montague but vain fantasy. (I.iv.)”
name.
Friar Lawrence  When Romeo asked to  He states, “For this
marry him and Juliet, he alliance may so happy
agreed because he prove / To turn your
thought their marriage households' rancor to pure
might bring about the love” (2.3. 91–92).
end of the feud between
their two families.
 When Juliet asked his help
when Romeo was banished
from Verona, Juliet and the
friar devised a plan to help
the two newlyweds be
together. The friar gave
Juliet a potion that will
make her appear dead to
everyone around. Then, the
friar was going to send for
Romeo. Even though Juliet

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 had many fears about taking
the potion, she still took it
because she loved her
husband and wanted to be
with him.

Apothecary  A poor, starving,  Who calls so loud?

skeletal man with (V,1,2868)
massive eyebrows  Such mortal drugs I have;
whose shop does little but Mantua's law
business. Despite the (V,1,2877)
threat of death if he is  Is death to any he that
caught having sold utters them. (V,1,2886)
poison, he accepts to  My poverty, but not my
give Romeo a deadly will, consents. (V,1,2877)
dose in return for a great Put this in any liquid thing
deal of money. you will, And drink it off; and,
if you had the strength”
(V,1,2888)

1.7 Lack of poetic justice.

In literature, poetic justice is an ideal form of justice, in which the good characters are
rewarded and the bad characters are punished, by an ironic twist of fate. ... For instance,
if a character in a novel is malicious and without compassion in the novel, he is seen to
have gone beyond improvement.
Justice demanded punishment. The punishment for the Montagues and the Capulets was
the death of Romeo and Juliet. Therefore justice demanded and brought along the death
of Romeo and Juliet. .The deaths of Romeo and Juliet served as a means of ending the
feuds and their deaths were brought by the demands of justice.
Matrix 7: Description of Characters as to the Lack of Poetic Justice

Character/s Lack of Poetic Justice Quoted Lines

Montague and  Their age old feud  “As rich shall Romeo’s
Capulet families comes to an end only by his lady’s lie, / Poor
with the deaths of their sacrifices of our
children enmity” (V.iii.303–4).

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  “A glooming peace this
morning with it brings
The sun for sorrow will
not show his head”
 Go hence, to have
more talk of these sad
things; Some shall be
pardoned, and some
punished; For never
was a story of more
woe than this of Juliet
and her Romeo.”
(V.iii.305).

Romeo and  O, I am fortune's fool!

Tybalt  The bully swordsman Tybalt, my cousin! O my
who was looking for a brother's child!
swordfight with Romeo, O prince! O cousin! husband!
ended up getting killed O, the blood is spilt
by him in a swordfight. O my dear kinsman! Prince,
as thou art true,
For blood of ours, shed blood
of Montague.
O cousin, cousin!

1.8 Comic relief.

Comic relief means that after a particularly dramatic moment, a character comes along
that makes you laugh. The nurse does this throughout the play, because she makes bawdy
jokes and is just generally cheerful. Also, other characters make fun of her occasionally.
Ultimately, she does tell him Juliet says yes, and arranges the meeting for him.  This little
exchange is one of the humorous moments in the play, and there are some.  Mercutio also
provides comic relief, and so does Romeo sometimes.
A play full of drama also needs some comedy.  Comedy and tragedy are two sides of the
same coin, life is full of both.  Any play needs a fair amount of comic relief to give the
audience some rest, and to balance out the tragic moments.  Shakespeare also wanted to

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keep his audience’s attention, and entertain them.  They would know whenever they saw
Mercutio or the nurse (or a sword) that some fun was coming.

Matrix 8: Description of Character as to Comic Relief

Character/s Comic Relief Quoted Line

Nurse  She is kind of bumbling  “I can tell you; but
and sweet, and tenderly young Romeo will be
devoted to Juliet but also older when you have
a little bit obnoxious. found him than he was
She is perfect comic when you sought him. I
relief, a typical am the youngest of that
Shakespeare clown. name, for fault of a
worse. “
 In Act 2, Scene 4,  “A sail, a sail!”
Romeo’s friends make
fun of Nurse, and
exchange bawdy
conversation with her.
Romeo gets impatient
with this conversation,
answering thus when she
asks for him
Romeo and Nurse  Then, Romeo and the NURSE:
nurse exchange a witty …Doth not rosemary and
conversation in which Romeo begin both with a
they tease each other.  letter?
She makes fun of the ROMEO:
fact that he is impatient Ay, nurse; what of that? Both
to hear from Juliet, and with an R.
that Juliet is a sweet NURSE:
girl.  She also brings up Ah, mocker! that's the dog's
Rosemary, the girl that name. (Act 2, Scene 4)
he was supposedly in

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 love with before.

2. Philosophical concepts embodied in tragedy

Tragedy is not a genre. Tragedy is not a dramatic from. It does not require actors, a
stage, or a script. It does not require kings, fate, or falls from fortune. Tragedy is an
event. It requires a reader, a protagonist, and an occasion of suffering. It requires an act of
interpretation. Tragedy can occur in everyday experience just as it can occur in art. Texts
are often the locus of such an event, but they are by no means required. All that is
necessary is a system of metaphors that links reader and protagonist through the occasion
of suffering and a system that enables interpretation. Metaphors are not literary devices.
Metaphors are primary principles of the mind.
Tragedy, and tragic theory, is obsessed with opposition: the love and hate of Romeo and
Juliet, the pity and fear of Aristotle, the Apollonian and Dionysian of Nietzsche, the
opposing moral goods of Hegel.
Shakespeare’s tragic protagonists, like all human beings, experience the world via
bodies, and like all human beings, they perceive the world through embodied metaphors.
Yet those metaphors lead to both triumph and suffering, for human metaphors, like
human vision, are partial. Just as physical sight is bound within a field of vision, so, too,
cognitive sight is bound by the range of human attention and understanding. One cannot
see everything at once; to watch one danger, an individual must always turn its back upon
another. So it is with Shakespeare’s protagonists: they embrace desire wholeheartedly,
but fear pounces upon their backs; they live for nobility and honor, but envy and jealousy
betray them to the darkness. Sometimes they pass through the gate of opposition, gaining
a new insight about the world, about the tragedy of human cognition: that sight is always
partial, and that cognitive monsters always lurk in the darkness, just outside of our vision.
Sometimes the reader must travel alongside them, sympathizing with their suffering and
completing their tragic journey: for like these tragic protagonists, we too have bodies; we
too must experience the world through flesh and bone, and we can sympathize with the
tragedy of that type of vision.

Matrix 9: Philosophical Concepts Embodied in Tragedy

Character/s Philosophical Concept Quoted Line/s

Friar Lawrence  He introduced  “‘I’ll give thee armor
philosophy by calling it to keep off that image
“armor,” because when ( banishment), / Adversity’s
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 armed with it, Romeo sweet milk, philosophy, / To
can protect himself comfort thee, though thou art
from the inevitable banished’” (3.3.54-56).
scarring and suffering
of adversity. Philosophy
is a shield, an ægis that
provides cover from
him and that deflects
the pain of memory.
 The Friar begins the  “Being smelt, with that
scene by ruminating to part cheers each
himself, as he gathers part;Being tasted, stays
herbs, that there is all senses with the
nothing so evil that it heart.”
can't be turned to a
good use and nothing so
good that it can't be
twisted to an evil
purpose. He looks at a
flower he has picked
and notes that it is good
for the human body to
smell it, but it is deadly
if eaten

3. Philosophical implications in person’s life

Human beings are capable of many things. They can be incredibly nice and generous,
but they can also be very greedy, selfish, and deceptive. Everyone is capable of this
behavior in one form or another, and in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare
demonstrates how even the kindest person can be deceiving to a lot of people or how
money can make people do almost anything.

Matrix 10: Philosophical Implications in Person’s Life

Character/s Philosophical Implication Quoted Line/s

Juliet  She is a good daughter,  “I will not marry yet;
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 and is thought to be a and when I do, I swear /
genuine, honest person. It shall be Romeo—
However, most people whom you know I hate—
don’t know that she has / Rather than Paris”
married Romeo while (3.5. 121–123).
still pretending that she
is going to marry Paris
like her parents want her
to.
Romeo  A handsome son and  Alas, that love, whose
heir of Montague, view is muffled still,
intelligent, and sensitive. Should without eyes see
He lives in the middle of pathways to his will (1.1.)
a violent feud between
his family and the
Capulets, but he is not at
all interested in violence.
His only interest is love.
At the beginning of the
play he is madly in love
with a woman named
Rosaline, but the instant
he lays eyes on Juliet, he
falls in love with her and
forgets Rosaline.
Friar Lawrence  He is a kindhearted  "Young men's love then
cleric who helps Romeo lies/Not truly in the
and Juliet throughout the hearts, but in their eyes"
play. He performs their  "So smile the heavens
marriage and gives upon this holy act That
generally good advice, after-hours with sorrow
especially in regard to chide us not."
the need for moderation.  "These violent delights
He is the sole figure of have violent ends"
religion in the play. But
Friar Lawrence is also

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 the most scheming and
political of characters in
the play: he marries
Romeo and Juliet as part
of a plan to end the civil
strife in Verona.
Lady Capulet  Lady Capulet is quite a  "Nurse, where's my
timid, unknowing and daughter? Call her forth
selfish character, as she to me." ...
appears to be frightened  "She's not Fourteen"
of her husband and does unaware of her own
not love her daughter daughter's age.
like a mother should. In  "I was your mother
the play, she forgets much upon these
Juliet's age and they days." ...
have a formal  "Speak briefly." ...
relationship, illustrating  "Talk not to me for I'll
the distance between not speak a word."
them both.
Nurse  A loyal nurse of Capulet  “to fetch a ladder by
but as Lady Capulet's which your love must
servant, she is not climb a birds nest soon
supposed to keep any when it is dark"
secrets from her,  "thou was the prettiest
especially if they are babe that e'ere I nursed"
about her
Tybalt  Tybalt Capulet is Juliet's  “What, drawn, and talk
cousin. He is extremely of peace? I hate the
feisty and enjoys the word, As I hate hell, all
conflict between the Montagues, and thee.”
Montagues and his  “Now by the stock and
family. He is strong- honour of my kin, To
willed, argumentative, strike him dead I hold it
passionate and loyal. not a sin.”
 “I will withdraw, but
this intrusion shall Now

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 seeming sweet convert
to bitter gall.”
 “Mercutio, thou
consort'st with Romeo”
Mercutio Mercutio is an anti-romantic  True, I talk of dreams,
character who, like Juliet's Which are the children of an
Nurse, regards love as an idle brain, Begot of nothing but
exclusively physical pursuit. He vain fantasy. (I.iv.)
advocates an adversarial
concept of love that contrasts
sharply with Romeo's idealized
notion of romantic union.
Benvolio He is known as the clear-  “I do but keep the
thinking, reliable, peace- loving peace.”
,caring,respectful, trustworthy  “Soft, I will go along
and responsible young man but and if you leave me so
will fight if he is pushed to far. you do me wrong.”
 “Alas, that love, so
gentle in his view,
should be so tyrannous
and rough in proof!”

IV. Conclusion
Romeo and Juliet concludes with a strong condemnation of the characters’ actions. In
the closing family portrait, the Capulets and the Montagues gather around the tomb to
witness the consequences of their absurd conflict. Even if you don’t believe that Romeo
and Juliet could have saved themselves, you must admit that their families’ blind hatred
caused the situation, not the gods. As the Prince notes, even “the sun for sorrow will not
show his head” on that tragic day—even the heavens are pained at the human
foolishness.

In a nutshell, all of William Shakespeare’s literary works can be recognized as high artistic
ones, because of his natural talent and of the literary movement; Renaissance in Europe,
particularly in England. Romeo and Juliet is a really interesting play ever written by him.

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The overall structure of the play, and characterizations are really the facts that gave the play
a higher position. Events in the plot have been organized scholarly and there is a higher
quality of suspense between connecting the events he woven from the beginning till the
end of the play. Within that, the historical background of the play is another aspect that
gave the play a higher place in the field of literature. Finally, Romeo and Juliet of
William Shakespeare can cry and laugh someone in the same time. It is because of the
scholarly art that William Shakespeare used in this play.

V. References:
Online Journals and Books
Connolly, F. A. (2000). Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.USA IDG Books Worldwide pp.6-7

Morris, H. (1985). Mac Milan Masterguides. Romeo and Juliet.

UK, London: Macmillan Education LTD, pp. 7, 8

Helmsa, Nicholas R. ( 2009). Body of Suffering Reading: Reading Shakespear’s

Tragedies through cognitive theory. A thesis. University of Alabama

J. Haugh 2014 X Drive/ English/ Romeo Juliet/ Study Guide Romeo and Juliet

G. Lipson & S. Lipson (2007).https://journals.sagepub.com

(2007).https://freeditorial.com. Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

https://www.cram.com/essay/Romeo-And-Juliet-A-Tragic-Love-
Story/PKEKJBP2BXYQ#:~:text=Romeo%20and%20Juliet%20is%20a,world%20is
%20flipped%20upside%20down.

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