I want us to take a closer look at the plot of Romeo and Juliet.
This is a follow-up tutorial to the one in which I gave you my straightforward, no-meandering-around-the-curves plot summary of Romeo and Juliet.
My focus here today is going to be on something equally relevant.
I’m talking about the significance of the plot of Romeo and Juliet, a tragic play by William Shakespeare.
Fast-paced plot
The plot of Romeo and Juliet moves at a fast pace. It is interesting to note that whereas the same story, as narrated in Arthur Brooke’s poem spans across a period of more than nine months, Shakespeare, in this play makes the story last for less than five days.
33 Examples of the Adjectival Clause
The restriction of the action to a limited period has at least two significant effects:
Heightened emotions
The story moves at a fast, exciting pace. The emotions, anxieties, fears and passions of the characters, particularly the hero and heroine are heightened and are made more prominent.
Every action or inaction on the part of any character has quick and, quite often, devastating consequences.
A sense of urgency passes through the drama. The audience or the reader is as excited as the characters in the play.
Suspense
A great deal of suspense is generated in the plot of Romeo and Juliet. We are eager to know what effect an action will have. This feeling of suspense increases our anxiety and excitement.
The cruelty of time increases our sympathy for the lovers
The briefness of the episodes depicts the cruelty of the quick passage of time against the hero and the heroine. The final act, Act 5, is a good example here. This produces the effect of a feeling of sympathy (from the audience) for the young lovers.
Conclusion
On the whole, the plot of Romeo and Juliet contributes, in no small measure, to the tragic flavour of the play. This is borne out by the emotions, the urgency of time and the feeling of sympathy that it evokes in us.
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