Monday, April 25, 2016

[CHARACTER] Explore the significance of the Prince in the play

“On pain of torture… Throw your mistemper’d weapons to the ground.”
Represents voice of law, justice and authority – neutral in the feud and desire only peace between them – however also serves to show how powerless law – embodied by the prince – is compared to the passions of love and hate – tautology emphasizes consequences of disobedience – personification to drive some sense into families and instill guilt within them – imperative sentence shows his high status, power and authority however fate is a higher power

“Profaners of this neighbor-stained steel! Will they not hear? – What ho, you men, you beasts!”
Does everything in his power to keep the peace and often ends up exasperated from the effort involved – neighbor connotes friendliness and convey his good intentions and desire for peace and amity – “stained” display his feelings towards the feud – ridiculous and worthless - interrogative emphasizes his infuriation that another fight broke out despite warnings – he degrades the men into “beasts” = connotations of animalistic, savage, wild, bloodthirsty behavior – metaphor – exclamative highlights his vexation

“See what scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love!”
Relays the moral of the story in the final scene – by laying the blame on Lords Capulet and Montague for many deaths – uncontrolled, violent, overly-passionate emotions create destruction – “scourge” = punishment and penance by God for their hatred – summing up the moral that vehement emotions bring about ill fate and ultimately death

“Never was there a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo.”
Concludes story and emphasizes theme of tragedy – hyperbole “never” “of more woe” again stressing the tragedy and ill-fated nature of the tale


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