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Romeo and Juliet Essay

Romeo and Juliet is William Shakespeare’s romance and tragedy about “Two star cross’d lovers” from rival families, who marry in secret, and due to tragic circumstances can only be together in death.
Shakespeare based and got his ideas for Romeo and Juliet from the Italian tale that was translated into verse called “The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet” by Arthur Brooke and “Place of Pleasure” by William Painter. To adapt and expand the plot for a play Shakespeare needed to develop supporting characters such as Mercutio and Paris.  
The play beseem into the tragedy genre because death, hardship and dramatic irony are themes throughout the play .For example of these: Romeo and Juliet from Rival families, Romeo’s best friend Mercutio is killed by Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin) so Romeo avenges his death by killing Mercutio killer. At the final end where upon seeing Juliet “dead” Romeo poisons himself because he can not live without Juliet. Ensuing this Juliet awakes and finds her husband dead so she stabs herself because she can not live without Romeo. The ending of the play is a very good example of dramatic irony because the audience always knows more than the characters themselves, and in the case of the ending, dramatic irony is the core theme because Romeo doesn’t know that Juliet is not dead because a letter friar Lawrence sent to Romeo informing him that Juliet was not dead but just asleep, this letter does not reach Romeo and this in turn leads to both their deaths.
Although the play is not a tragedy throughout Romeo and Juliet the play shifts between Comedy and Tragedy, because Shakespeare uses this to heighten tension and enhance the story. Before Mercutio’s death in Act 3 scene 1 the play is largely a comedy, but after Mercutio’s death the play takes on a more serious and tragic tone.                  

  Carry on conflict in Act 3 scene 5 occurs after Romeo has fled the Capulet’s house and Lady Capulet (Juliet’s mother)...