Romeo And Juliet Essay, Research Paper

English I Honors April 29, 1997

Romeo and Juliet

Human ignorance plays a huge role in a tragedy. Without ignorance everyone

would know what is happening and the problem would never occur. This is especially

relevant with Shakespeare’s play “Romeo and Juliet”. There are many cases within the

play that show that the characters are ignorant of what is happening somewhere else. The

characters either does not know that something is occurring or the character does not

have the whole truth. That is what makes the whole story interesting.

One example of ignorance in Romeo and Juliet is the scene where Tybalt notices

Romeo and a Capulet party. To be prejudice a person must be ignorant. Tybalt thinks to

himself that since Romeo is a Montague he will cause trouble. A few quotes from the

play will prove that Tybalt is ignorant.

Tybalt: ‘Tis he that villain Romeo.

Tybalt: It fits when such a villain is a guest. I’ll not endure him.

Tybalt: Why, uncle, ’tis a shame.

All of these lines are said to Tybalt’s uncle, Lord Capulet, by Tyblat. Right from the start

Tybalt says that Romeo is a villain, a trouble maker. He states that he will not stand for

such a horrible person to be at the party. Tybalt feels that it is a shame.

Being ignorant also means to not know the whole truth. The scene where Juliet

takes the magic drug and dies is an example of this. When the nurse goes to wake Juliet

the next morning she is shocked to find Juliet dead on the day she was suppose to marry

Paris. What the rest of the Capulets do not know is that Juliet will awake later at her

grave. Here are a few lines from the play that show that they do not know that Juliet will

awake.

Lady Capulet: O me, O me! My child, my only life! Revive, look up, or I will die

with thee! Help, help! Call help.

Nurse: She’s dead, deceased; she’s dead! Alack the day!

Those lines would not be said if they knew that she would awake later.

One major scene which is filled with ignorance is the last one. This scene is

where Romeo seeks his dead love. When Romeo sees Juliet dead he instantly falls apart

emotionally. Romeo ends up killing himself a moment before Juliet wakes up. When

Juliet wakes up and finds Romeo dead she kills herself. The result of the ignorance of the

two lovers is that they die. If Romeo received Friar Laurence’s message first he would

have known the whole truth. That way no one would have died. The result of Romeo’s

ignorance of the situation is the death of himself and his love, Juliet. A few lines said by

Romeo and Juliet stating there ignorance.

Romeo: Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die.

Juliet: Haply some poison yet doth hang on them To make me die with a

restorative.

In conclusion, Rome and Juliet is just abundant with ignorance. This tragedy is

structured around ignorance. Without ignorance this tragedy would not even be a play.

For any problem to occur in anything there must be ignorance. It has been shown that

ignorance plays a huge role in this tragedy. Ignorance is stupidity and unawareness. It

was clearly displayed that there is plenty of both in this play.