Romeo and juliet explores love in multiple forms including romantic and familial love propels every action in the plot that is not motivated by its opposition hatred. The "hatred" between between montagues and capulets is the strongest barrier to romeo and Juliet's love. This serves to illustrate thRead more
Romeo and juliet explores love in multiple forms including romantic and familial love propels every action in the plot that is not motivated by its opposition hatred. The “hatred” between between montagues and capulets is the strongest barrier to romeo and Juliet’s love. This serves to illustrate the central idea of the play love dragged down by hatred cannot last. Shakespeare exalts the power of love but he also points out that without the blessing of authority, love is unsustained. Violence drives the plot of Romeo and Juliet with as much or perhaps more force as love the play begins with violent verbal threats. It also takes the form of self harm as the two lovers commit suicide. Prejudice and lack of communication play a strong role in causing violence emphasizing that the failure to communicate openly can be fatal.
Shakespeare builds the theme of authority by showing how each character weilds his or her power over others as the highest authority. Shakespeare uses the prince as the voice of reason. He is never swayed by emotion but recognizes the truth about violence and judges fairly. “Friar Lawrence” represents religious authority and the voice of wisdom advising Romeo to love moderately. The Friar delivers a core message that humankind is both good and evil. Evil has the capability to dominating good, leading to the destruction of an individual. Lord Capulet represents social and parental authority and is stern and enforcing them with his family encounter points to these characters neither Romeo nor Juliet wants power over the other. Much of the attention on Romeo and Juliet revolves around conflicts between young or old characters. Although more temperate the old characters seem to forget that they share the same passions as the younger characters. Through Mercutio, we learn that Romeo’s true identity is not revealed until after he falls in love with juliet. Through juliet we learned that Romeo is more than just his name. However Romeo’s position prevents him from growing into his new identity as Juliet’s husband.
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Absurdism is a school of philosophy that suggests that human existence is meaningless and irrational. The conflict between humans' desire to find inherent meaning in life and the silent, indifferent universe is the major focus of it. In literature, this often results in works where characters face iRead more
Absurdism is a school of philosophy that suggests that human existence is meaningless and irrational. The conflict between humans’ desire to find inherent meaning in life and the silent, indifferent universe is the major focus of it. In literature, this often results in works where characters face illogical situations, nonsensical dialogue, and a lack of clear purpose or resolution.
Absurdism in ‘Waiting for Godot’:
Samuel Beckett’s play “Waiting for Godot” is a really good example of absurdism. The play has two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, who wait for someone named Godot. Their wait is endless, and Godot never arrives. This setup shows the absurdist theme in several ways:
- Lack of Purpose: The characters’ actions are repetitive and seemingly pointless. They keep waiting without knowing why and this is a reflection of the absurdist view that life doesn’t have an inherent purpose.
- Nonsensical Dialogue: Much of the dialogue between Vladimir and Estragon is circular and meaningless, emphasizing the idea that human communication is often futile and misunderstood.
- Uncertainty and Confusion: The characters are unsure about their past, their purpose, and even about who Godot is. This uncertainty reflects the absurdist notion that humans cannot find definitive answers to life’s big questions.
- Stasis and Inaction: Despite talking about leaving or taking action, the characters remain stuck in one place, waiting. The absurdist theme of inaction and the paralysis that comes from trying to find meaning in a meaningless world is shown here.
- Existential Themes: The play goes into existential themes, shoing despair, the search for meaning, and the human condition. It portrays the absurdity of life through the characters’ endless, fruitless wait for someone or something that might provide answers or purpose.
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