Comparative Analysis Masculinity, violence and tradition are three themes that flow between Romeo & Juliet and West Side Story, shaping each series of events and the character’s experience via actions and roles.
Violence is a component central to both West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet’s narrative and in a way encapsulates many other textual elements as well. By nature of conflict, violence can arise with duality, as solution to a problem and as catalyst for further action. And because violent action can be rationalized both ways depending on perspective, it is relevant to situations spanning history thus permeating our literature. It is a tool used by both parties in either works and a factor fundamental to understand when analyzing any …show more content…
Throughout Romeo & Juliet he develops a lovelorn softness about him in which Romeo grows melancholy due to the constraints put upon their love. This prompts him to proclaim sentiments such as, “Why, such is love’s transgression. Grief’s of mine own lie heavy in m breast, which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest with more of thine. This love that thou hast shown doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purged, a fire sparling in lovers’ eyes; Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet.” (1.1.188-196) Love makes his anguish a period poetic, flowery in language and undeniably feminine which puts him at odds with Benvolio and the rest of the characters whom exist within an aggrieve, hyper-masculine state, ready for blood. Their priorities are conflict between Montagues and the Capulets, while Romeo is distracted and crushed by love for a thing he can’t have, Juliet. By exploring his introspective, soft side where emotions are not ignored this makes for him subverting traditional masculinity and unknowingly questioning a restrictive, destructive mold so ingrained in society. And by eschewing violence, Romeo’s non normative masculinity inherently questions the concept of
Violence is a component central to both West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet’s narrative and in a way encapsulates many other textual elements as well. By nature of conflict, violence can arise with duality, as solution to a problem and as catalyst for further action. And because violent action can be rationalized both ways depending on perspective, it is relevant to situations spanning history thus permeating our literature. It is a tool used by both parties in either works and a factor fundamental to understand when analyzing any …show more content…
Throughout Romeo & Juliet he develops a lovelorn softness about him in which Romeo grows melancholy due to the constraints put upon their love. This prompts him to proclaim sentiments such as, “Why, such is love’s transgression. Grief’s of mine own lie heavy in m breast, which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest with more of thine. This love that thou hast shown doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purged, a fire sparling in lovers’ eyes; Being vexed, a sea nourished with loving tears. What is it else? A madness most discreet.” (1.1.188-196) Love makes his anguish a period poetic, flowery in language and undeniably feminine which puts him at odds with Benvolio and the rest of the characters whom exist within an aggrieve, hyper-masculine state, ready for blood. Their priorities are conflict between Montagues and the Capulets, while Romeo is distracted and crushed by love for a thing he can’t have, Juliet. By exploring his introspective, soft side where emotions are not ignored this makes for him subverting traditional masculinity and unknowingly questioning a restrictive, destructive mold so ingrained in society. And by eschewing violence, Romeo’s non normative masculinity inherently questions the concept of