Quiz Act 4 and 5

A) Romeo and Juliet is a play that portrays many themes and ideals that are opposite from the norm, and defy what is expected. The two protagonists are represented at the start of the play as what their gender expects from them. Juliet is locked in her room and Romeo is expected to fight for his family and represent his name. Juliet blossoms into her personality throughout the second half of the play. Something changes inside her that seems like a mix of upmost passion and possibly some obsession and angst. She goes after what she wants with a burst of quickness. Juliet realizes that in order to be where she wants in life, she has to go and never look back. The amount of risk that Juliet takes seems careless. As someone portrayed so deeply in love though, it does not seem unrealistic relating the context of the play. Juliet possesses hero-like traits by the end of the play because she is no longer thinking of herself, only Romeo. At the beginning of the play Juliet had never experienced feeling strong emotions for someone until she met Romeo, which led to exposing all of the built up affection she had. The play as a whole has many contrasting moments and themes. Gender roles and how they affect who you are get very exposed throughout the story. Romeo in the second half has no comparison to Juliet when it comes to facing your fears and being courageous. Romeo seemed much more timid and quiet while Juliet was going full force with her actions. The order of which the play is written reveals what was expected of gender roles at the time, and how they can be defied.

C) I believe that Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because it exposes an ongoing negative setting, as well as highlights a situation that could have been prevented had it happened under different circumstances. The city's natural order is restored at the end of the play because people were able to recognize how dangerous and worthless a feud was once an event happened that could not be hidden or made light of. The two families were both portrayed as stubborn and stuck in their old ways. The deaths were required for the two sides to realize how long and tiresome the fight has been. In order for people to detach themselves from unhealthy situations, usually something has to change or be taken away from them. The play will be a tragedy because even though the feud is resolved, there is still a numb and unsettling feeling at the end. It took the two families until enough people died for them to realize that they were enemies for a reason none but entitlement.

F) Throughout the film and the play, Romeo is portrayed on the surface as someone growing up from an emotional standpoint. Romeo is going through somewhat of a learning experience up until his death. Even though throughout the second half of the play he is not as active as Juliet, he is still a bold character. In the film version of the play Romeo is seen as a powerful daydreamer. He is bold and poetic, which can be overlooked in when reading the play. Though he is older than Juliet in the play, his facial features in the film make him look more naive and fragile. Romeo is emotional and powerful throughout the film. He yells, cries, and acts depressed in an exaggerated manner. Though Romeo is depicted as a more stationary figure throughout the second half of the play, in the film he is still lively and willing to go great lengths for Juliet. The film highlights the idea that Romeo is just as passionate and involved as his counterpart. The supporting characters like the Friar and the Nurse help portray that idea as well throughout the film. Overall the film stays true to the basics of the character, but enhances traits that portray Romeo as involved and desperately in love.