Analyzing Romeo and Juliet through the view of Aristotelian principles of a tragedy
Romeo and Juliet is one of the famous love story as well as a Shakespearean tragedy written by William Shakespeare probably in 1591 and 1595. The play was published in 1597. It is mainly about two young lovers whose family did not get along, but later a tragic death occurs to them which reconcile the two families. Shakespeare got inspiration from a poem called “The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Luliet,” by Arthur Brooke. As per the Aristotelian principles as studied in the book “Poetics,” the Shakespearean tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” has six elements of a tragedy, dramatic unity and reversal along with recognition.
The tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” employs all …show more content…
The play is not completed within twenty four hours, but takes several days to complete the whole plot. It does not follow the Aristotelian unity of place as it does not take place in one particular place, but all around the Verona, Italy. Then when it comes to unity of action it is present in the play as it does not have subplots. The play is not episodic as in it is in a chronological order and everything is sequential. It has a beginning, middle and an end. Romeo and Juliet has a clear beginning, middle and an end in which the plot of the story is a complete one. The play begins with the love story of Romeo and in the middle the love of Romeo and Juliet arises secretly and at the end the tragic ending occurs to the lovers. In the Romeo and Juliet the tragic hero is Juliet as she is ready to sacrifice her family as well as life in order to be with her love Romeo (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). The hamartia we can find in Juliet is her excessive love for Romeo has made her sole purpose of living Romeo. Therefore, when Romeo is found dead she kills herself with a dagger which is the downfall of her excessive love. Catharsis which means purgation is the emotional release that is relieving the emotions build from the characters of a tragedy. Catharsis gives emotional pleasure to the audiences. In Romeo and Juliet, most of the characters such as Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio die which builds up the dominant emotion of pity and fear in the mind of the audiences. When Romeo dies drinking poison, then after Juliet wakes up she kills herself with a dagger when the Friar is not looking in which the audiences get catharsis (SparkNotes Editors, 2005). After this tragic incident the two families reconcile and cease the hatred between these families. The story has a logical sequence and proper cause and
Romeo and Juliet is one of the famous love story as well as a Shakespearean tragedy written by William Shakespeare probably in 1591 and 1595. The play was published in 1597. It is mainly about two young lovers whose family did not get along, but later a tragic death occurs to them which reconcile the two families. Shakespeare got inspiration from a poem called “The Tragicall Historye of Romeus and Luliet,” by Arthur Brooke. As per the Aristotelian principles as studied in the book “Poetics,” the Shakespearean tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” has six elements of a tragedy, dramatic unity and reversal along with recognition.
The tragedy “Romeo and Juliet” employs all …show more content…
The play is not completed within twenty four hours, but takes several days to complete the whole plot. It does not follow the Aristotelian unity of place as it does not take place in one particular place, but all around the Verona, Italy. Then when it comes to unity of action it is present in the play as it does not have subplots. The play is not episodic as in it is in a chronological order and everything is sequential. It has a beginning, middle and an end. Romeo and Juliet has a clear beginning, middle and an end in which the plot of the story is a complete one. The play begins with the love story of Romeo and in the middle the love of Romeo and Juliet arises secretly and at the end the tragic ending occurs to the lovers. In the Romeo and Juliet the tragic hero is Juliet as she is ready to sacrifice her family as well as life in order to be with her love Romeo (Shmoop Editorial Team, 2008). The hamartia we can find in Juliet is her excessive love for Romeo has made her sole purpose of living Romeo. Therefore, when Romeo is found dead she kills herself with a dagger which is the downfall of her excessive love. Catharsis which means purgation is the emotional release that is relieving the emotions build from the characters of a tragedy. Catharsis gives emotional pleasure to the audiences. In Romeo and Juliet, most of the characters such as Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt and Mercutio die which builds up the dominant emotion of pity and fear in the mind of the audiences. When Romeo dies drinking poison, then after Juliet wakes up she kills herself with a dagger when the Friar is not looking in which the audiences get catharsis (SparkNotes Editors, 2005). After this tragic incident the two families reconcile and cease the hatred between these families. The story has a logical sequence and proper cause and