Why Write a Romeo and Juliet Essay?
Date: 1595
Genre: Tragedy
Author: William Shakespeare
Characters: Romeo, Juliet, Count Paris, Mercutio, Tybalt, The Nurse, Rosaline, Benvolio, Friar Laurence.
Based on: Shakespeare borrowed heavily from an English translation of Matteo Bandello's Italian tale, as well as a prose retelling of the same story in Palace of Pleasure by Willian Painter.
Symbols: Love, fate, duality, time, etc.
Influence: The play was influenced by countless stories of tragic romances that have been popular since ancient times.
Plot: After meeting for the first time at a ball in Capulet's house, Romeo and Juliet fall in love and get married the next day. However, Juliet's cousin, Tybalt, challenges Romeo to a duel, which the latter rejects, but which is accepted by Mercutio. The latter is killed in a fight, and Romeo kills Tybalt only to be exiled. Juliet, to be married to Count Paris, accepts a potion from Friar Laurence that would make her look dead. The wedding is canceled, and Romeo, unaware of the plot, returns to mourn Juliet. Romeo kills Paris and takes the poison to join her in death, and once Juliet wakes up, she stabs herself with his dagger. Discovering the bodies, the Montagues and the Capulets learn the story from Friar Laurence and finally stop their feud.
Interesting facts:
Romeo and Juliet, along with Hamlet, was one of Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime.
The exact time of writing is unknown, though most scholars believe Romeo and Juliet was created between 1591 and 1595.
Different play characters use various poetic forms (i.e., Romeo uses sonnets).
Multiple movie adaptations were made throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Astronomers named two moons of Uranus in honor of the play: Juliet and Mab.
Quotes:
"Don't waste your love on somebody, who doesn't value it."
"For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo."
"Do not swear by the moon, for she changes constantly. then your love would also change."
"What's in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet."
"Thus with a kiss I die."
Why is this topic important: Romeo and Juliet is considered an archetypal tragic young love story that inspired countless other works in literature, film, music, art, etc.
There's a good reason Shakespeare's works have such a significant influence on Literature classes. After all, there are multiple layers to every piece by the Bard of Avon, and scholars have been trying to decrypt them for hundreds of years. So whenever you're assigned a Romeo and Juliet essay, don't treat it like a dull and useless chore. Instead, seek exciting new takes on the age-old tale of doomed love.
You'd be surprised how many unique issues your essay about Romeo and Juliet could cover. From Juliet's feminism to Mercutio's secret crush on Romeo, you could take your paper in so many different directions and write an original essay about Romeo and Juliet not only for your Literature class but also History, Gender Studies, Political Science, and multiple other courses. You only need a spark of inspiration and a small nudge in the right direction. And SpeedyPaper is here to help with both!
How to Use Romeo and Juliet Essay Examples?
Literature papers are among the most popular in the SpeedyPaper collection of free essay examples. Dozens of categories are dedicated to famous writers and their most notable works, so everyone can find inspiration. So, of course, we couldn't pass up the chance to create a Romeo and Juliet essay example collection.
The first and most obvious reason to read a sample Romeo and Juliet essay before writing your paper is to see what others have done and do something original instead. However, there's more to samples than that. For example, you can use their titles to craft an exciting topic for your essay on Romeo and Juliet that will immediately grab your professor's attention.
Besides, you can pick and choose the best parts to borrow for your piece and the worst elements to leave out. Suppose you like a thesis statement from a Romeo and Juliet sample essay. Save it and alter it to fit your paper. You can do the same with quotes, arguments, topic sentences, etc. And the reference sections could be particularly useful if you need evidence from secondary sources to support your claims.
At the same time, you should keep your eyes peeled for mistakes and inconsistencies in every Romeo and Juliet essay example you read. Try on the role of a professor, highlight the parts that don't make sense, and come up with ways to improve or adjust them to make the arguments more effective and the flow more logical and straightforward.
In a pinch, you can also go with a simple rewrite of a Romeo and Juliet essay. But we urge you to rework each sentence and paragraph to alter their structure and form. Otherwise, advanced plagiarism checkers could track your piece to our collection, creating unnecessary school drama for you.
If you're that desperate for a high grade on your essay about Romeo and Juliet, outsource it to SpeedyPaper writers. Our Literature experts have written hundreds of papers on Shakespeare's works. They know all the best sources to use, the best quotes to supplement the arguments, and the best words, phrases, and transitions to make your essay on Romeo and Juliet flow smoothly from hook to final thoughts.
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15 Romeo and Juliet Essay Topics to Jumpstart Your Writing
It's not like every Romeo and Juliet essay must be devoted to doomed love. If you're looking for a fresh, original take on the classic tale, check out 15 creative ideas hand-picked by our Literature experts. We're sure you'll find an exciting avenue to explore on our list:
- Compare and contrast the early retellings of Romeo and Juliet
- Consider if the passion Romeo and Juliet shared could be caused by the family feud
- Analyze the historical background of the play and how it affects interactions between Romeo and Juliet
- Discuss the relationship between love and death and the sexual connotations of both in Romeo and Juliet
- Explain the role of fate and coincidences in Romeo and Juliet
- Analyze Shakespeare's use of light and dark imagery in Romeo and Juliet
- Consider how the haste of characters' actions affects the outcome in Romeo and Juliet
- Follow the changes in critics' perceptions of Romeo and Juliet throughout history
- Explain the effect of repeated shifts from comedy to tragedy on the effectiveness of Romeo and Juliet's message
- Analyze how multiple subplots affect the central plot of Romeo and Juliet
- Discuss the causes and effects of poetic form changes throughout Romeo and Juliet
- Evaluate the impact of Verona's patriarchal society's influence on the family feud in Romeo and Juliet
- Can Juliet's rejection of an arranged marriage signify her feminist views?
- Analyze the homoerotic connotations of Romeo's and Mercutio's friendship
- Study the evolution of "the balcony scene" throughout different Romeo and Juliet adaptations
And if none of the Romeo and Juliet essay topics above fit your assignment, contact SpeedyPaper. Explain your class and prompt, and our experts will devise a custom topic for you.