Abstract
This essay discusses William Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet". The essay particularly focuses on the characters of Romeo and Juliet and their fate. It argues that Romeo and Juliet suffer as victims of fate and not their own choices. It includes examples and quotes from the play to demonstrate this point.

From the Paper
"In most tragedies there is a villainous antagonist or supernatural agent that deliberately creates obstacles and difficult circumstances in an attempt to destroy or conquer the protagonist. Sometimes, as in Shakespeare's tragedies Macbeth and Hamlet, it is the protagonist's own tragic flaw that causes their demise. However, in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet there is no obvious villainous character or personal tragic flaw that leads to the untimely deaths of the two protagonists, rather fate is the opposing force in this tragedy."

Tags:fate, juliet, romeo, shakespeare, love

Abstract
This paper compares the "Romeo and Juliet" film from 1968 and the "Romeo and Juliet" film of 1996. It shows the similarities and differences between the actors and the plot. The author argues that the modern version is in many ways inaccurate and discusses the differences between the effectiveness of the two movies.

From the Paper
"Romeo and Juliet is an incredible love story between two people who fall in love and discover that each is from a family that is forbidden. Their love grows and they realize that love is more important than what their family thinks, and after fighting and fighting with their families, they get married, only for Romeo to get banished from the town, and Juliet betrothed by her father to marry a man she didn't even know. She takes a solution to make herself appear dead, and Romeo doesn't get the news that she is only under a chemical, and thinks that she is actually dead, and winds up killing himself at her "Deathbed" Juliet wakes up to a dead Romeo, and kills herself, for she knows she can't go on without him."

Tags:actor, love, sin

Abstract
This paper details the background of Elizabethan England in Shakespeare's time, in which there were many rigid standards for social customs and marital traditions, but the Reformation was encouraging women to be more independent and to control their own lives, resulting in the emergence of a new "Renaissance woman." It is this conflict of ideas that is played out in "The Taming of the Shrew" and an understanding of the times as put forth in this paper, along with parallel examples from the text, adds to a richer understanding of the play.

From the Paper
"Contrary to young Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, the average age for brides of the time was twenty-four, and for grooms it was twenty-seven, but the legal age of consent for girls was twelve, for boys fourteen (Mack 54). Although Kate's age is never mentioned in the The Taming of the Shrew, one can assume that she is probably close to this age, if not a bit older. It is frustrating for her to be single, when Bianca has so many suitors, and her anger at Baptista for helping Bianca to obtain a husband is understandable. When she accuses him of favoritism, and declares that, because of him, she will have to "lead apes into hell," she actually is citing a common conception of the period. When a younger sister married before an older one, it was customary for the elder sister to dance barefoot at the wedding to avoid becoming a spinster. It also was believed that the eternal fate of an "old maid" was leading apes into hell (Charlton 87)."

Tags:Renaissance, Reformation, play, woman

Abstract
This paper analyzes Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet" and examines its central themes. The author looks at the themes of love and death with reference to determination, passion, madness and uncertainty that the characters experience.

From the Paper
"Romeo and Juliet is one of William Shakespeare's most well know plays. The infamous love story between the two main characters is what draws most people to the play. Yet from such a brilliant author, one must look deeper to find greater issues hidden in the lines of this play. Although Shakespeare never specifically states his thoughts, one can find conclusive evidence to support the idea that love is equated with death in this play. Death is defined as destruction; lacking warmth, interest, or brightness; without feeling, motion, or power. On the other hand, love is defined as a strong affection or liking for someone; passionate affection. With such different definitions, it takes the genius of Shakespeare to draw these two phenomena's together."

Tags:juliet, romeo, shakespeare, love, passion, death, uncertainty, madness

Abstract
This paper examines how Juliet begins the play as a dependent, adolescent young woman and how, by the end of the play, she shows others, but mainly herself, that she is ready to be self-reliant and make her own decisions. In particular, it looks at how the last lines of the play revolve around Juliet and her development as a character. They show that she is essentially more significant than any other character in the play.

From the Paper
"In Act 1 Scene 5, Juliet starts to move toward her independence but still shows dependence. Once Juliet meets Romeo, her actions change. Juliet allows Romeo to kiss her without her parents' permission. "Then have my lips the sin that they have took." (1,5,119) After Juliet receives her kiss from Romeo, she asks him to kiss her again, "You kiss by th' book."(1,5,122) Juliet continues to show dependence in this Scene. As Romeo leaves the Capulet party, Juliet asks the Nurse what the boys name is walking out the door,"Go ask his name. If he be married, My grave is like to be my wedding bed."(1,5,148-149). As Juliet seeks independence she finds herself becoming more mature and self governed in her actions."

Tags:capulet, nanny

Abstract
This paper consider Emma and Charles as protagonists and tragic heroes of "Madame Bovary". Both characters are considered in the three criteria of tragedy-- disasters that remove title, power and position; special qualities which do not save them from destruction and tragic flaws, with the knowledge that hopelessness is interwoven throughout. It compares how this relates to Shakespeare's tragedy "Romeo and Juliet".

From the Paper
"Although according to the media, a "tragedy" may refer to an unfortunate happening, such as a murder or suicide, the literary definition of "tragedy" does not necessarily coincide. Rather, according to the Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms, tragedy is "a form of drama concerned with the fortunes and misfortunes and, ultimately, the disasters that befall human beings of their title, power, and position." The dictionary continues by listing the classic figures of tragedy such as Oedipus, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, etc. Also key is the following: "What makes them tragic figures is that they have qualities of excellence, of nobleness, of passion; they have virtues and gifts that lift them above the ordinary run of mortal men and women" These attributes are seen to be insufficient to save them from self-destruction or from destruction brought upon them. And there is no hope for them." Let's examine Gustave Flaubert's Madame Bovary using the above definition as a benchmark for tragedy to identify its position."

Tags:charles, emma, flaubert, inevitability, tragedy

Abstract
This paper explores the role of fate, as Shakespeare employed it, in "Romeo & Juliet". The paper uses examples from the play to show that fate made the tragic outcome inevitable.

From the Paper
"Romeo and Juliet, written by William Shakespeare, is set in Verona Italy, where two feuding families, the Montagues and the Capulets produce a pair of "star-crossed lovers". Within the play there are five events that drastically change the course of Romeo and Juliet's love: Romeo and Juliet's meeting, their marriage, the death of Tybalt and Romeo's banishment, Friar John being detained with the letter allowing Balthasar to inform Romeo of Juliet's death, and Romeo killing himself before Juliet awakens. These events could be classified as the direct results of a character's action, an act of fate, or a combination of both. Quite often this is the case, fate played upon the flaws of the character, therefore producing the event. In these situations the character is often aware of the part that fate played."

Tags:capulet, mercutio, montague, shakespeare, tybalt

Abstract
The paper explores how several factors (society, state and family) create insurmountable obstacles for the love of Romeo and Juliet. The focus is on a particular scene (act 3 scene 1), which the author feels is a turning point, or a point of no return for Romeo and Juliet.

From the Paper
"From the start, the audience knows that Romeo and Juliet are star-crossed lovers, doomed to be separated by fate. Even so, there are many moments of hope where it seems like they just might be able to overcome all the difficulties they face. Act 3 scene 1 seems to crush this hope and seal the fate of the lovers. This scene is a turning point in the play where the influence of social institutions directs the tragic fate of Romeo and Juliet by creating insurmountable obstacles for their love. Their fate becomes inescapable when in this scene Romeo and Juliet's society, state and family create the circumstances that keep the lovers from being together."

Tags:benvolio, capulet, mercutio, montague, obstacle, tybalt

Abstract
An overview of the actions Friar Laurence took in advising Romeo and Juliet, his possible motivations, and their results. Split into three sections, the first focuses on the Friar's relationship with Romeo; the second, on his relationship with Juliet; and the third, tying the two together and exploring the consequences of the Friar's actions. The paper takes a somewhat defensive view of the Friar, pointing out that he did nothing maliciously, but that perhaps his confinement as a Franciscan monk had made him immature in his ability to advise the young lovers.

From the Paper
"In Romeo & Juliet, Friar Laurence provides an interesting departure from Shakespeare's regular devices of tragedy. Instead of inescapable fate and/or evil schemers leading to the deaths of the main characters, Friar Laurence single-handedly causes one of Shakespeare's greatest tragedies with no thought of evil, and no help from fate. Instead, misappropriated influence combined with lack of worldly experience, panic and cowardice conspire to alter the Friar's well-intentioned advice and actions into the deaths of Romeo and Juliet, those he was trying to help."

Tags:crossed, destiny, fate, lovers, monk, star

Abstract
The essay examines the unusual and unconventional father-daughter relationships that exist in "A Midsummer's Night" Dream and "Romeo and Juliet."

From the Paper
"Biological fathers in A Midsummer Night's Dream and Romeo and Juliet are seen as authoritative, ruling figures. Their only apparent role in each is to make decisions for their daughters."

Tags:daughter, dream, father, juliet, midsummer, night, relationships, romeo