English Coursework

Shakespeare

In the following essay, I will be discussing how Shakespeare introduces the relationships between the male and female protagonists of three of his plays- Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Taming of the Shrew.

In Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare presents both characters as very gullible; they instantly fall in love with each other at first sight. Parents would refer this to telling their daughters not to be making rash decisions when it comes to love and males. However, in this modern day society people, especially those of the male population would think about arousing with women whenever they go out together. In Act 2 Scene 2, lines 2-3 where it says,"- But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun". I believe the aforementioned shows the beginning of the chemistry between the two protagonists. The play is of course a romantic tragedy where the two lovers suffer untimely deaths. The irony in the play is that the untimely deaths ultimately unite their families who have feuding throughout the course of the play.

Romeo is very love-struck and falls in love with Juliet’s looks. In Act 2 Scene 2, lines 25-26 when he declares, "She speaks. O speak again, bright angel!". In the extract, he is comparing her voice and looks to that of an angel’s and it also shows he is very much in love with her. Romeo does not care about his name and who he really is and all he wants is Juliet. The aforesaid is in Act 2 Scene 2, lines 50-51 where he says, "Call me but love, and I’ll be new-baptized. Henceforth, I never will be Romeo". Romeo will do whatever it takes to be with Juliet even if it means disowning his family. He also says he will get a new name just to be with the one he loves. The audience will see that he will sacrifice anything just to be with her. He would even change his identity to be with the women she loves. On the other hand, the modern day society as and act of stupidity and they would also think that whenever you are rejected, they are plenty more fish in the sea.

Romeo tells Juliet that they should not be kept apart just as schoolboys with their books. In Act 2 Scene 2, line 156, it states, "Love goes towards love as schoolboys from their book". Romeo does not want himself and her to be apart from each other just as schoolboys do not want to apart from their books. Juliet wants Romeo as well and asks where he is. In Act 2 Scene 2, lines 33-34 she says, "Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name". We can conclude that she wants him so much that she wants him to forget about his father and get rid of his name.

Macbeth is a tragedy which is the shortest tragedy that Shakespeare has written and was written between 1603 and 1606. In the play, we can say that Lady Macbeth is the leader in the relationship between these two protagonists. The audience will think that the Macbeth is not asserting himself against his significant other and that he needs to step up and start being in charge of this relationship. Alternatively, this current society will think that the power of relationships is changing and this is a good example between Lady Macbeth and Macbeth. This is now the foundation of modern relationships in where the men do not have the power that they used to. In Scene 4 line 82, it submits, "Leave all the rest to me". Here we can see that she is the boss and he cannot do anything. In contrast, in Shakespeare’s time, men used to dominate the society or at least in public it seemed a patriarchal society.

Lady Macbeth speaks in public in the play when she converses significant amounts of soliloquies when she is talking against her man. However, in Macbeth, it gives a different viewpoint in where the woman takes control. Lady Macbeth shows a very eager and dark side to her. She grasps opportunities when she can. An example is when she hears about the witches prophecies; she wants to get the