ROMEO AND JULIET

WRITTEN BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

Introduction to Educational Literature

Submitted by:

Eka Wahyu Setyawan Haidar Baghiz Putrantio

Zumrotul Marhamah Riska Hanifah

Nur Alifah Maasah Rizky Budiansyah

M. Bayu Heri Permana Tasmi

Ratna Suci Cahyaningrom Nurul Habibaturosyi’ah

Revi Oktaviani Adi Manarul Fikri

Teguh Ardiansyah Dian Putri Islami

Arisya Putri Afifah Nabilah

Sheila Mitha Rifa Reviana Aprilia

 SULTAN AGENG TIRTAYASA UNIVERSITY

2021
The theme of Romeo and Juliet Story

Love is naturally the play’s dominant and most important theme. The play focuses on
romantic love, specifically the intense passion that springs up at first sight between Romeo
and Juliet. In Romeo and Juliet, love is a violent, ecstatic, overpowering force that supersedes
all other values, loyalties, and emotions. It is also a tragic love and Romeo and Juliet have
become emblematic of young lovers and doomed love. But although love is naturally the
play's dominant and most important theme, other themes are also present throughout the
events.

 Light and dark

Shakespeare's widespread use of light and dark imagery throughout the play has long
been noted. The theme of light is considered as "symbolic of the natural beauty of young
love." Both Romeo and Juliet see the other as light in a surrounding darkness. Romeo
describes Juliet as being like the sun, brighter than a torch, a jewel sparkling in the night, and
a bright angel among dark clouds. Even when she lies apparently dead in the tomb, he says
her "beauty makes This vault a feasting presence full of light." Juliet describes Romeo as
"day in night" and "Whiter than snow upon a raven's back." This contrast of light and dark
can be expanded as symbols—contrasting love and hate, youth and age in a metaphoric way.

 Fate and Free Will

The Prologue refers to the protagonists as ‘star-crossed lovers.’ The belief that Fate
determines human life reverberates through the play. Fate versus free will is the theme here.
Romeo and Juliet struggle to break free of the threats that Fate represents, expressed in their
dreams and premonitions, and the imagery, throughout the text. Romeo is frustrated by the
intervention of Fate at every move he makes to assert his will. ‘O I am fortune’s fool,’ he
cries when he realises that he has killed Tybalt. When he hears of the death of Juliet, he
shouts up to the heavens, ‘Then I defy you, stars!’

 Love and hate

The intensity of the love between Romeo and Juliet is pitched against the hate-ridden
society in which they live. In the balcony scene, Juliet tells Romeo that if her kinsmen find
him in the orchard they will murder him. It is that hatred that is going to destroy them. Not
only them but Mercutio, Tybalt and Paris as well. The hatred generated by the ancient feud is
just as intense, as we see from the emotional behavior of Tybalt, as the intensity of the love
between Romeo and Juliet.

 Death and Hate

Death is ever-present in Verona. The old folk mutter about it all the time: ‘we were born
to die,’ ‘death’s the end of all,’ and young lives are abruptly cut short – so abruptly that the
speed of it is a shock in itself. The word ‘death’ pervades the text. Death is even personified:
we see him shutting up the doors of life, eating the living, fighting on the battlefield. Most
horrifying is that he is Juliet’s bridegroom. ‘Death is my son-in-law/Death is my heir/My
daughter he hath wedded,’ wails Capulet as he weeps over Juliet’s body. Against all that are
the hopes of the lovers for a life together doomed by the stars.

Characters

 Juliet the influence of fate. The Friar concocts the potion plot through which Juliet
appears dead for 42 hours in order to avoid marrying Paris. At the end of the play, the
Prince recognizes the Friar's good intentions.
 Capulet Juliet's father is quick-tempered and impetuous but is initially reluctant to
consent to Juliet's marriage with Paris because Juliet is so young. Later, he changes
 his mind and angrily demands that Juliet obey his wishes. The deaths of Romeo and
Juliet reconcile Capulet and Montague.
 Paris A noble young kinsman to the Prince. Paris is well-mannered and attractive and
hopes to marry Juliet. Romeo fights and kills Paris at the Capulet tomb when Paris
thinks that Romeo has come to desecrate the bodes of Tybalt and Juliet.
 Benvolio Montague's nephew and friend of Romeo and Mercutio. Benvolio is the
peacemaker who attempts to keep peace between Tybalt and Mercutio. After the
deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, Benvolio acts as a Chorus, explaining how events took
place.
 Lady Capulet Lady Capulet is vengeful and she demands Romeo's death for killing
Tybalt. In her relationship with Juliet, she is cold and distant, expecting Juliet to obey
her father and marry Paris.
 Montague Romeo's father, who is concerned by his son's melancholy behavior.
 Balthasar Romeo's servant. He brings Romeo the news in Mantua that Juliet is dead.
 An Apothecary A poverty-stricken chemist, who illegally sells poison to Romeo.
 Escalus, Prince of Verona The symbol of law and order in Verona, but he fails to
prevent further outbreaks of the violence between the Montagues and Capulets. Only
the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, rather than the authority of the prince, restore peace.
 Friar John A brother of the Franciscan order, sent by Friar Laurence to tell Romeo of
his sleeping potion plan for Juliet. The Friar is prevented from getting to Mantua and
the message does not reach Romeo.
 Lady Montague In contrast with Lady Capulet, Lady Montague is peace-loving and
dislikes the violence of the feud. Like her husband, she is concerned by her son's
withdrawn and secretive behavior. The news of Romeo's banishment breaks her heart,
and she dies of grief.
 Peter A Capulet servant attending the Nurse.
 Abram A servant to Montague.
 Servant of the Capulet household.
 Servant of the Capulet household.

SETTING
The play is set in the thirteenth or fourteenth century in Italy in Verona and Mantua. Much of the
action takes place in Juliet’s house. Two cities of Venice are also mentioned in the play. The Capulets
and the Montagues, the main families of the play, are from noble lineage and wealth; they dress well,
live in fancy surroundings, and are served by many attendants.

PLOT

On the streets of Verona, fights break out between the servants of the hostile Capulet and
Montague noble families. Benvolio, a Montague, tries to stop the fighting, but he gets
involved when Tybalt, arrives on the scene. After the citizens angered by the constant
violence defeating the warring factions, Prince Escalus, ruler of Verona, tries to prevent
further conflict between the families, by decreeing death for any individual who disturbs
future peace.
Romeo, son of Montague, meets his cousin Benvolio. After getting support from Benvolio,
Romeo confesses that he is in love with Rosaline, a woman who does not return his affection.
Benvolio advises him to forget about him and find another prettier woman, but Romeo
remains desperate. Meanwhile, Paris is a relative of the Prince, looking for Juliet to marry
him. Capulet's father, though pleased with the statement, asked Paris to wait two years, for
Juliet was not yet fourteen. Capulet sent a maid with a list of people to invite to the
masquerade. He invites Paris to the party, hoping that Paris will start winning Juliet's heart.
Romeo and Benvolio, still discussing Rosaline. Then, meet up with Capulet's maid who
brings the invite list. Benvolio suggests that they attend the party, as it will allow Romeo to
compare his lover to other Verona beauties. Romeo agrees to go with Benvolio to the party,
but only because Rosaline, whose name he reads on the list, will be there. At Capulet's house,
young Juliet talks to her mother, Lady Capulet and her maid about the possibility of marrying
Paris. Juliet hasn't considered marriage yet, but agrees to see Paris during the party to see if
she thinks she can fall in love with him.
The party starts. Melancholic Romeo follows Benvolio and their friend Mercutio to Capulet's
house. Once inside, Romeo sees Juliet from a distance and instantly falls in love with her, he
completely forgets about Rosaline. When Romeo sees Juliet, Tybalt, recognizes her, and is
angry that Montague sneaked into Capulet's party. He prepared to attack, but Capulet held
him back. Immediately, Romeo spoke to Juliet, and both of them felt attracted to each other.
They kissed, not even knowing each other's names. When she learns from Juliet's maid that
she is the daughter of Capulet, her family's enemy. he became desperate. When Juliet learns
that the young man she just kissed is Montague's son, she becomes angry.When Mercutio and
Benvolio leave the Capulet estate, Romeo jumps over the garden wall into the garden, he
can't leave Juliet. From his hiding place he saw Juliet in the window above the garden and
heard her say her name. She calls him, and they exchange vows of love.
Romeo rushes to meet friends and makes a confession in Friar Lawrence, although surprised
by Romeo's sudden change of heart, agrees to marry his lover in secret because he sees in
their love the possibility of ending the long-standing feud between Capulet and Montague.
The next day, Romeo and Juliet meet in Friar Lawrence's cell and get married. The maid,
privy to the secret, obtains the ladder that Romeo will use to climb up to Juliet's window for
their wedding night.
The next day, Benvolio and Mercutio meet Tybalt who is still angry that Romeo attended
Capulet's party. Then, challenge Romeo to a fight. Romeo begs Capulet to postpone the fight
until he understands why Romeo doesn't want to fight. Fed up with this plea for peace,
Mercutio says that he will fight Tybalt himself. The two of them started fighting. Romeo tries
to stop them by jumping between the fighters. Tybalt stabs Mercutio under Romeo's arm, and
Mercutio dies. In his rage, Romeo kills Tybalt. Romeo flees from the scene. Soon after, the
Prince declares Romeo forever banished from Verona for his crimes. The Priory of Lawrence
arranged for Romeo to spend his wedding night with Juliet before he had to leave for Mantua
the next morning.
In her room, Juliet waited for her new husband to arrive. The maid enters, and informs Juliet
that Romeo has killed Tybalt. Confused, Juliet suddenly finds herself married to a man who
had killed her relative. But he realized that her whole body and soul were for Romeo. Romeo
sneaks into Juliet's room that night, and they finally consummate their marriage and love.
Morning comes, and lovers say goodbye, unsure when they will see each other again. Juliet
learns that her father, affected by recent events, now intends for her to marry Paris in just
three days. Juliet asked her Servant for advice. Her advises Juliet to carry on as if Romeo
were dead and marry Paris, which is more fitting anyway. Fed up with the Servant's
disloyalty, Juliet ignores her advice and rushes to meet Friar Lawrence. He devises a plan to
reunite Juliet with Romeo in Mantua. The night before her wedding to Paris, Juliet must drink
a potion that will make her appear dead. After he is buried in the family crypt, Friar and
Romeo will secretly retrieve her, and she will be free to live with Romeo, away from their
parents' feud.
That night, Juliet drank the potion, and the Nurse found her, apparently dead, the next
morning. The Capulet family mourns, and Juliet is buried as planned. But Friar Lawrence's
message explaining the plan to Romeo never reached Mantua. The carrier, Friar John, was
locked up in the same house. And Romeo only heard that Juliet was dead. Romeo only learns
of Juliet's death and decides to commit suicide rather than live without Juliet. He buys a
bottle of poison from the Pharmacist, then returns to Verona to take his own life at Juliet's
grave. Outside Capulet's crypt, Romeo comes to Paris, who is sprinkling flowers on Juliet's
grave. They fight, and Romeo kills Paris. He enters the tomb, sees Juliet's dead body, drinks
poison, and dies by his side. Just then, Friar Lawrence enters and realizes that Romeo has
killed both Paris and himself. At the same time, Juliet woke up. Juliet refuses to go with him,
she escapes alone. Juliet sees her beloved Romeo and realizes that he has killed himself with
poison. She kissed him poisoned lips, and when it didn't kill her, she stabbed a dagger in her
chest, and fell dead on Romeo's body.
The watch arrives, followed by the Prince, Capulet, and Montague. Montague states that
Lady Montague has died of grief over Romeo's exile. Seeing the bodies of their children,
Capulet and Montague agree to end their long-standing feud and raise golden statues of their
children side by side in the newly peaceful Verona.

CONFLICT

 External Conflict
 In The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, there is a lot of conflicts, especially external
conflict. Some examples of external conflict include:

- Mercutio versus Tybalt (Tybalt killed Mercutio)

- Capulet versus Tybalt (When at the party, Tybalt wants to be rid of the Montagues, but
Capulet tells him to calm down and welcome them, and not to cause a scene)
- Paris versus Juliet (he loves her, but she does not want to marry him)
- Juliet versus Capulet (he says he will disown her if she doesn't marry Paris)
- Romeo versus Mercutio (Romeo kills Tybalt)
- Juliet versus Lady Capulet (Their relationship with each other, the deal on marrying Paris,
and when Tybalt dies)
- Lady Capulet versus Nurse (Their relationship with each other)
- Capulet versus Montague (a long feud)
- Juliet versus Nurse (When the Nurse was against Romeo and Juliet together)
- Capulet Household versus Montague Household (feud)

 Internal Conflict

There are a few internal conflicts in The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet.The internal
conflict includes:

- Friar Lawrence: He is battling with himself over Juliet's faked death, the eloping of
Romeo and Juliet, and the deaths of the two teenage lovers.
- Juliet: she battles with herself about whether Romeo is truly in love with her and when
getting ready to drink the elixir Friar makes for her to return to Romeo.

Moral Value

1. Don't make rash decisions or make quick decisions. Because we know that make
quick decisions is not a good choice.
2. Suicide shouldn't be an option for dealing with the problem of everything, including
love, because anything that happens now isn't going to last forever. So, we can make
the right choice in a way like think clearly and carefully before making decisions or
ask someone's opinion if we need their opinion to solve that problem.
3. Never try to control someone's life, because it will be a disaster for yourself.
4. In making decisions, you must think carefully so that you don't regret them later.
5. Never ignore family or close relatives just for a partner who is not necessarily our
soul mate.
6. Think before acting so that the action does not harm anyone.
7. From the story of Romeo and Juliet, we learn that love is blind. Love knows nothing.
Love brings out the best in two different people and life without love is meaningless.