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MaisyS's avatar

Can somebody please help me with this Romeo and Juliet essay?

Asked by MaisyS (734points) August 29th, 2019

I’m supposed to write a six hundred word text based essay answer to this question
“Explore in detail how Shakespeare presents the characters of Lord Capulet, Romeo and Tybalt in lines 43–91 of Act 1, Scene 5. Support your points and arguments with evidence given from the text.”
I don’t feel there is too much I can write. I’m supposed to explore the characters in relation to the literary devices, techniques, methods and tools employed by Shakespeare, the text and themes present, and the effects of the devices and other things I listed above on the audience/reader. And of course the character analysis itself. Can anyone please give me some pointers on how to go about this and help me identify things to write?

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5 Answers

jca2's avatar

Can you cut and paste what’s in Lines 43 to 91 of Act 1 so we might have a clue?

MaisyS's avatar

Sure. I can’t edit the question anymore but these are the lines:
ROMEO
O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!
It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night
Like a rich jewel in an Ethiope’s ear;
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear!
So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows,
As yonder lady o’er her fellows shows.
The measure done, I’ll watch her place of stand,
And, touching hers, make blessed my rude hand.
Did my heart love till now? forswear it, sight!
For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night.
TYBALT
This, by his voice, should be a Montague.
Fetch me my rapier, boy. What dares the slave
Come hither, cover’d with an antic face,
To fleer and scorn at our solemnity?
Now, by the stock and honour of my kin,
To strike him dead, I hold it not a sin.
CAPULET
Why, how now, kinsman! wherefore storm you so?
TYBALT
Uncle, this is a Montague, our foe,
A villain that is hither come in spite,
To scorn at our solemnity this night.
CAPULET
Young Romeo is it?
TYBALT
‘Tis he, that villain Romeo.
CAPULET
Content thee, gentle coz, let him alone;
He bears him like a portly gentleman;
And, to say truth, Verona brags of him
To be a virtuous and well-govern’d youth:
I would not for the wealth of all the town
Here in my house do him disparagement:
Therefore be patient, take no note of him:
It is my will, the which if thou respect,
Show a fair presence and put off these frowns,
And ill-beseeming semblance for a feast.
TYBALT
It fits, when such a villain is a guest:
I’ll not endure him.
CAPULET
He shall be endured:
What, goodman boy! I say, he shall: go to;
Am I the master here, or you? go to.
You’ll not endure him! God shall mend my soul!
You’ll make a mutiny among my guests!
You will set cock-a-hoop! you’ll be the man!
TYBALT
Why, uncle, ‘tis a shame.
CAPULET
Go to, go to;
You are a saucy boy: is’t so, indeed?
This trick may chance to scathe you, I know what:
You must contrary me! marry, ‘tis time.
Well said, my hearts! You are a princox; go:
Be quiet, or—More light, more light! For shame!
I’ll make you quiet. What, cheerly, my hearts!
TYBALT
Patience perforce with wilful choler meeting
Makes my flesh tremble in their different greeting.
I will withdraw: but this intrusion shall
Now seeming sweet convert to bitter gall.
Exit

snowberry's avatar

I’d start with learning the meaning of all the unfamiliar imagery, and assign character attributes to each speaker based on what he says.

In addition, the characters are opposed to each other. Explore that too, and you’ve got a good start on your paper.

stanleybmanly's avatar

How familiar are you with the play in its entirety?

Zaku's avatar

This is an assignment about analyzing the scene in detail and saying things about the writing techniques Shakespeare used, and their likely effects on the audience, and conjectures about why he might have written these things the way he did, making references to specific lines.

It takes a lot of practice to be able to do that kind of literature analysis writing well, so literature classes pretty much always assign practice at that, and you do your best and then get feedback from the teacher/TAs/class to learn how to do it better next time.

The first thing is to just read the passage (and hopefully the whole play, too, or at least watch it) to try to get a good understanding of all the parts. Then zero in on details you find interesting, and see if you have reactions or comments or ideas about them that might be interesting to write about – that seems to be the point where you’re struggling.

I think it’s pretty interesting how the characters appear and interact from different perspectives, and by their words give the audience views into their characters, situations and relationships. The contrast between their perspectives creates a situation where their differences, expressed in words, allow a not-too-forced exposition.

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