The memorable play of Romeo and Juliet has left millions in awe after its unexpected fatal ending. The tale of two star-crossed lovers who defied their families, Capulet and Montague, ended tragically with their death. It has been successful and engaging for many years because of the unexpected turn of events and sudden plot twists. Its comedic relief has also thrived such tragic play, and its use of old Shakespearean language has dramatized it too. Furthermore, the play Romeo and Juliet is an excellent play to enact for several reasons.
Firstly, Romeo and Juliet is a well-constructed play considering its unusual plot. At the beginning of the play, the Prologue refers to Romeo and Juliet as 'star-crossed lovers,' displaying that both are destined to fall in love, yet equally to have that love destroyed. Romeo and Juliet's propensity for their rash actions has caused them and many others to end in a sudden mortal death. One of the many abrupt situations was Mercutio, Romeo's friend, who was stabbed by Tybalt, an enemy, because of Romeo's weak defense—following that with Tybalt's death because of Romeo's rage towards him. This was a shock to the audience as they witness Romeo kill one of his now relations and cause even more feud than there was. Another unexpected scene was Juliet's foolish choice of drinking the sleeping potion and following Friar Lawerence's plan, which could have risked her life. This built intensity because hours after drinking the potion, Romeo has received false news about Juliet's death leading to Romeo's fatal end and later on Juliets as well. Lastly, with Romeo and Juliet's death—a heartbreaking tragedy—has jaw-dropped the audience after their high expectations of both Romeo and Juliet running away freely from both feuding families. The audience then grew in more shock after hearing the announcement of Friar Lawerence's cruel punishment and the easing tension between the two grudging families. Furthermore, this play's sudden plot twists have kept the audience on their feet, waiting for what to happen next.
Secondly, in dark and dire situations, humor is needed to lift such a miserable and tragic play out of gloom and ensure the audience's longlasting entertainment. To create such comic relief, Shakespeare uses literary devices such as puns, to ease the tension in the play. One famous example of comic relief is when Romeo was on his way to the Capulet feast accompanied by Benvolio and Mercutio, 'And we mean well in going to this masque, But 'tis no wit to go. Why may one ask? I dreamt a dream tonight. And so did I. Well, what was yours? That dreamers often lie'. Here Romeo is sulking because of his unrequited love to Rosaline creating a gloomy atmosphere, but Mercutio interrupts with a pun about 'lie,' saying that not only do dreamers lie down but also lie about their dreams. Another comedic scene is when the musicians carry a silly argument with Peter, 'Why 'music with her silver sound'? What say you, Simon Catling? Marry sir, because hath a sweet sound. Pretty? What you say, Hugh Rebeck? I say 'silver sound' because musicians sound for silver. Pretty too!' Here, Peter is seeking to find what 'silver sound' means and repeats 'What say you?' multiple times but is unsatisfied with the musicians' responses. Therefore, Peter getting worked up for something as silly as a song lyric helps lighten the mournful mood of the scene. Moreover, humor is a necessary element that relieves the play's intensity moments.
Acting out, Romeo and Juliet can have its pros and cons. Some may argue that Romeo and Juliet is a terrible and unsuitable play to enact due to the usage of the unnecessary exaggeration and absurd language of Shakespeare. In contrast, the language of Shakespeare has had a significant impact on students for several reasons. Firstly, Shakespearean language contains historical and cultural context from the Elizabethan era giving the students the chance to learn about old history as well as understand other Shakespearean plays through it. Additionally, our language, knowledge, and dialogue with others can be enhanced through his language. His climactic and rich poetry powerfully delivers the message to the audience wowing them with skillful poetry. Therefore, it is beneficial to acknowledge old Shakespearean language.
Ultimately, Romeo and Juliet, one of Shakespeare's greatest plays, has thrived for many years and is performed successfully for millions for several principles. Because of its engaging turn of events, comedic relief, and use of old English language, 'Romeo and Juliet' is the best choice for students to enact.
