The character in Romeo and Juliet that I found most interesting is the Nurse. I picked the Nurse because I saw her as sort of an impartial healing source in the middle of Romeo and Juliet because she loves them both, and wants the best for them. Because the Nurse loves them both so much she's willing to help them both and is with them in difficult times.
In all of Act 3 Scene 2 as Juliet processes her complicated feelings about Romeo killing Tybalt, the Nurse is there to help Juliet to understand. I noticed that at no point in the scene does the Nurse blatantly share her opinion on the situation. The Nurse never came to Juliet and started telling her that Romeo is a horrible man and that she should leave him and let him be banished, but I felt like by not sharing a strong opinion she was sending a slight message of forgiveness and acceptance. In Act 3 Scene 2 line 78 the Nurse says "It did, it did, alas the day, it did." (Saying that Romeo did in fact kill Tybalt). I thought this line showed the Nurse being slightly upset, but still the Nurse wants the best for Juliet and wouldn't lie to her. I thought the Nurse was upset because she didn't know how Juliet would respond to this and because she only wants the best for Juliet, was sad to be the one to tell her the news that might end up splitting them apart.
I think the Nurse in this scene plays a sort of bearer of bad news. I think the Nurse, when given this responsibility is saddened by one, the fact that Tybalt is dead and two, that she has to be the one who will have to make Juliet initially sad by giving her the news. This topic definitely extends to school because at one point or another I've had to tell my parents that I didn't do so great on a test, in which case I'm the bearer of bad news. I think this is different because it's usually my own fault for forgetting to study, and I have to deliver the news about myself and what I did, versus the Nurse delivering news to Juliet about what her husband did. I think these two are really different because it's easier to tell someone what someone else did when you're not involved in the slightest and can't be held accountable.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Inanimacy
In Act 1 Scene 4 of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Mercutio tells Romeo how to handle love. He gives Romeo advice on dealing with, and moving on, after love ends. I saw Mercutio treating love like it was a person, and as he goes back and forth becomes less literal and more figurative with who love is.
In Act 1 Scene 4 line 17/18 Mercutio says "You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings // And soar with them above a common bound." In this quote Mercutio doesn't directly address love as an animate object but speaks of it more inanimately, and says that Romeo is part of it by being a lover. I thought Mercutio telling Romeo to "borrow Cupid's wings" was saying that Romeo is entitled to love, and should be able to just take Cupid's wings and find love. I saw "Cupid's wings" as a metaphor for love. Because Mercutio says to "soar with them above a common bound" I felt like he was telling Romeo to take love, and take love somewhere great. In line 27 Mercutio says "If love be rough with you, be rough with love". In this quote Mercutio makes love seem like it's a person who Romeo can interact with, and in this case, be rough with. I think Mercutio gives Romeo enough advice that he can literally use, and can just keep in mind to inspire him when he's not feeling too hopeful.
I think advice can be important for inspiring people, and these little things can really make someone more hopeful, like Mercutio telling Romeo to fly with Cupid's wings. I think these little bits of advice have the one purpose of just helping people get through difficult days and sad times. I've never been given actual advice of this type but I could see how a figurative piece of advice might help more because it's easier to interpret in your own way and really let it work in almost any situation, whereas literal advice might actually just be for one specific event and would only work then. I think Mercutio gives Romeo different kinds of advice so he can continuously use his advice and be able to carry on and not be sad.
In Act 1 Scene 4 line 17/18 Mercutio says "You are a lover. Borrow Cupid's wings // And soar with them above a common bound." In this quote Mercutio doesn't directly address love as an animate object but speaks of it more inanimately, and says that Romeo is part of it by being a lover. I thought Mercutio telling Romeo to "borrow Cupid's wings" was saying that Romeo is entitled to love, and should be able to just take Cupid's wings and find love. I saw "Cupid's wings" as a metaphor for love. Because Mercutio says to "soar with them above a common bound" I felt like he was telling Romeo to take love, and take love somewhere great. In line 27 Mercutio says "If love be rough with you, be rough with love". In this quote Mercutio makes love seem like it's a person who Romeo can interact with, and in this case, be rough with. I think Mercutio gives Romeo enough advice that he can literally use, and can just keep in mind to inspire him when he's not feeling too hopeful.
I think advice can be important for inspiring people, and these little things can really make someone more hopeful, like Mercutio telling Romeo to fly with Cupid's wings. I think these little bits of advice have the one purpose of just helping people get through difficult days and sad times. I've never been given actual advice of this type but I could see how a figurative piece of advice might help more because it's easier to interpret in your own way and really let it work in almost any situation, whereas literal advice might actually just be for one specific event and would only work then. I think Mercutio gives Romeo different kinds of advice so he can continuously use his advice and be able to carry on and not be sad.
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