Week 4 Homework

Prejudice: The feuding families in Romeo and Juliet create tension and conflict, not unlike feuding cultures in today's society.

The Capulet and Montague families create conflict and tension unlike today's societies feuding culture. Romeo and Juliets feuding families are quite extreme in creating tension and conflict. They fight with each other through violence and words. All this for dominance and a sense of superiority. In the prologue line 1 of Romeo and Juliet we are instantly taught that the families are very similar and many people find this to be their reason for feuding with each other "To households, both alike in dignity". Though in the mist of all this family rivalry, Romeo and Juliet still form a large desire for each other and fall in love. Feuding cultures in today's society can still be seen in a way just like the Capulet's and Montague's, although in most cases their is no falling in love from each side of the family. Though violence through both verbal and physical can be found. Families today still fight over dominance and a sense of superiority. Therefore in today's society there is still a similar culture of feuding families as there was in Romeo and Juliet, though many do not contain a romantic interest.

Homework - Love vs. Lust

Love vs. Lust: Romeo and Juliet are obsessed, infatuated, out of control, and irrational. Sounds like lust to me.

Romeo and Juliet are in love or are in lust is something that has been debate over many times. Obsessed, infatuated, out of control and irrational seem to being characteristics of lust, meaning their physical attractions to each other. The pair know near to nothing about each other, saying they are in love is something very bizarre. "Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear. So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows" Act 1 scene 5 line 45. This quotes shows the effect of Juliets beauty has on Romeo. It is showing that Romeo first fell for her beauty instead of her personality. Upon this Romeo still has not had the time to create a sense of Love between the pair, this being why the seem to share lust and not love.

Homework - Fate and Fortune

How significant is Romeo's belief in fate and fortune when it comes to the audience's understanding of the events leading up to Act III, Scene ii?

Romeos belief in fate places a significant role in the audiences understanding in the events leading up to act 3 scene 2. As the audience we already know the events that happen in the play and what is going to come next. “I fear too early, for my mind misgives Some consequence yet hanging in the stars Shall bitterly begin his fearful date With this night’s revels, and expire the term Of a despisèd life closed in my breast By some vile forfeit of untimely death" Act 1 Scene 4 line 106-110. This quote uses the one of Shakespeares most common themes foreshadowing. As the audience we know what is to come from this and the events that will foreshadow this. For example Mercutios death, and then the death of both Romeo and Juliet.

Homework 1

 In Act 1, we are already made aware that there can be multiple representations of love. Based on what we know of Romeo at this point in the play, how does Shakespeare represent love through the character of Romeo.

Shakespeare represents love through the character of Romeo, as a horrible and depressing thing. Through out the first act of the play, we can see a clear mood that is created by Romeo for his description of love. "tut, I have lost myself, I am not here, This is not Romeo, he's some other where" act 1 scene 1 line 191. This quote from the play shows a clear description of the effects that love has on Romeo. it is saying that love has turned him into someone that he is not, and he has lost himself through the horrible journey of love. He describes love as a hateful thing and something that is nowhere as exciting and enjoying as it is made to be, " in saddness. Cousin, I do love a woman" act 1 scene 1 line 195. This quote helps to add to the saddening representation that Shakespeare has created for the character Romeo. Through these two quotes taken from act 1 scene 1, we can see the clear representation that Shakespeare is trying to create for the character Romeo.

Diary Entry

Dear Diary,
Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. She is doing my head in. She refuses to compromise and is becoming far to difficult to handle. I think if im around her any longer i will go insane. I dont know how people can handle teenagers like this, they are just rude and disrespectful. Though im thankful that i have Fran, my sister. knowing that she has dealt with the same phase, sophie will hopefully be able to easily get through this with the help of her aunty. Although i havent spoken to Fran in a while, im glad that she is taking her off my hands for a while so that i can finally have a break. I know that it may seem rude to feel this way towards my daughter at this time, but i just can not seem to find a way to help her. I hope that Sophie spending time with her Aunt Fran will help her to see herself and her surrounding peers in a new way. I think that I have made the right decision by sending her to her Aunts, it seems as though both Sophie and I need a break from each other. Hopefully Fran can sort her out.
Geraldine x  

Diary Entry

Dear Diary,
Sophie, Sophie, Sophie. She is doing my head in. She refuses to compromise and is becoming far to difficult to handle. I think if im around her any longer i will go insane. I dont know how people can handle teenagers like this, they are just rude and disrespectful. Though im thankful that i have Fran, my sister. knowing that she has dealt with the same phase, sophie will hopefully be able to easily get through this with the help of her aunty. Although i havent spoken to Fran in a while, im glad that she is taking her off my hands for a while so that i can finally have a break. I know that it may seem rude to feel this way towards my daughter at this time, but i just can not seem to find a way to help her. I hope that Sophie spending time with her Aunt Fran will help her to see herself and her surrounding peers in a new way. I think that I have made the right decision by sending her to her Aunts, it seems as though both Sophie and I need a break from each other. Hopefully Fran can sort her out.
Geraldine x