Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet

 

William Shakespeare is the greatest dramatist of all time in the history of English literature. He lived during the Elizabethan Era and earned praise and glory for his plays, known for their intense storylines, filled with passion, guilt, romance and terror which captivated the audience and continue to do so to this day. For a person who isn’t a voracious reader may not understand the language, theme and the setting of his works. But when we dig deeper, we realize that he presented the life of humans in all their vices and virtues. He never wanted to give a moral lesson to his readers through his works.

Nature of Shakespeare’s Plays

Unlike other playwrights of his time who used to deliver a message to the audience through their plays, William Shakespeare showed life in all its natural beauty. It had all the human emotions in its most passionate form. There was love, passion, betrayal, ambition, strength, resilience and so on.  His plays also used visual effects to depict terror and supernatural occurrences. The play Romeo and Juliet is an example of Shakespeare’s brilliant use of these dramatic techniques.

A brief introduction to the author

 William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-on-Avon on 26^th April 1564, although the exact date of his birth is unknown.  His father was a notable figure in Stratford and it is believed that he was educated at Stratford Grammar School. At the age of eighteen, he married Anne Hathaway, a woman eight years older than himself. In 1585, he left Stratford for London. He soon became a member of the Lord Chamberlain’s Company, (known after the accession of James I, as the King’s Men). His first completely original play is believed to be Love’s Labour Lost. His non-dramatic works consist of two narrative poems, Venus and Adonis and The Rape of Lucrece (1594).  Most of his plays were written for performance in public playhouses.

His plays can be divided into three groups – comedies, tragedies, and histories. The play Romeo and Juliet’ belongs to tragedy. It was Shakespeare’s first masterpiece. Though we don’t know its exact date, it is said to have been between 1592 and 1595.

Source of the plot

 Italy was the breeding ground for many great writers and had been a source of material for writers in England. Shakespeare set many of his plays in Italy. Romeo and Juliet is based on Arthur Brooke’s poem The Tragicall History of Romeus and Juliet, an Italian story which Brooke found in a French translation. But, this is only a guess. However, Shakespeare was not an original playwright. He adapted many of the well-known stories of the day, which only seem ‘Shakespearean’ to us as the other works are not so popular compared to Shakespeare’s own version.

         

About the play

  Romeo and Juliet are famous as lovers the world over, and isa primarily a play about love. The theme of Romeo and Juliet is a live filled with passion. It is a story of hatred overcome by that love, old hate versus young love, taking no thought for the past and the future. And this love ends in death, thus heightening the intensity. It is an example of true love, and the balcony scenes with the lines:

                  ‘How silver-sweet sound lovers’ tongues by night,

                    Like softest music to attending ears’

prove Shakespeare’s skill in wordplay. The depth of their love is clearly indicated through these lines. The atmosphere is one of passion and swiftness.  It is ideal love and we are made aware of its nature by the way in which Shakespeare differentiates it from other kinds of love so that his audience can examine relationships and further deepen their understanding of the trove between Romeo and Juliet. The play emphasizes on themes like love and hate, old and young, order and disorder

Compression of Time

The whole play is in a hurry. It is a play full of angry fights, intense passion and sudden

death. Shakespeare compresses the nine months’ action of Brooke’s poem into less than five days, in the interests of swiftness, power and unity of action. On Sunday, the play opens with a street fight. Romeo and Juliet first meet at a party the same night. After the party, Romeo gets into Capulets’ garden and from the ground talks to Juliet talks to Juliet at the window.

Monday: they are married in the afternoon. Romeo kills Tybalt and is banished, but he spends the night with Juliet. That night, Capulet arranges Juliet’s marriage with Paris for Thursday morning.

Tuesday: Romeo leaves Juliet. Juliet is told by her parents that she has to marry Paris. She then goes to Friar Lawrence. The wedding is postponed to the next morning. Before she goes to sleep, she takes the potion given to her by the Friar. On Wednesday, Juliet is discovered ‘dead’ and is taken to the family tomb. On Thursday, Romeo hears of Juliet’s death and buys poison. On Friday, in the early morning, he comes to the tomb. The rest of the play takes place before dawn.                                         

However, the play is not so swift. Juliet tells Romeo that their love is ‘too rash, too sudden’. When they next meet, the audience is given the impression that they are meeting after a long time. But it has only been a matter of hours. She has known him for only a couple of days. But the audience feels that they have been together for a long time. In fact, it is purely love at first sight.

Setting

A great number of Shakespeare’s plays are set in places abroad. But the play’s story is set in England. Nowadays, there is strict demand for accuracy in scenery, costumes, and the setting but back then, the life and spirit of a play mattered more than the place where it was staged.  People saw in the play their own life and experience.  Shakespeare’s audiences enjoyed blood and battle stuff and he tried to satisfy them. Like any other dramatist, he wanted people to spread the word that Romeo and Juliet was an exciting play. The play is written in a way that could please them. From the opening scene of a street fight to the duel, murder, and suicide in the last, the play captivated the audience.

Qualities of the two main characters: Romeo and Juliet

Romeo: Before the start of the play, Romeo has been moody and reserved. The lady whom he says he loves won’t love him back. At the time the play opens he goes out at night and locks himself up all day. This love is just an infatuation. It is not genuine. It was only when he met Juliet, he discovered true love.

Romeo enjoys exaggerating his problems. But when he is really in love, he keeps it to himself. He becomes a dreamer. The fact that his companions make so much of his changed humour shows that he must have been a jolly fellow in the earlier days. He was a charming young man, with lots of friends.  When love gets to his heart, life is real.

Juliet: When we first meet Juliet, she is a charming, timid person, an obedient daughter. She has lived a sheltered life, but when she falls in love she becomes brave and passionate. She has a strong mind, willing to stand up against her parents’ wishes. She falls in love with Romeo at first sight. But she is more practical than him.  Juliet loves Romeo deeply, but her feet are on the ground. It can be said that Juliet was selfish giving her family great worry in order to carry her own whims and fancies. But she loved her father and mother truly and her parents on the other hand, were forcing her to marry a person against her wishes.

Conclusion

There are different aspects of love in the play. There is the passionate love between Romeo and Juliet. There is the love between parents and children. The love in the Capulet family indicates to this love. The problem of law and order is also shown through the quarrel between the Capulets and the Montagues. On the whole, however it is the story of true love that can go beyond mere family feuds. Here, it is Romeo and Juliet who teach the elders in the play the meaning of true love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Paris to Delhi: The Making of a Revolution

                                                         

 May 1968. A fresh wave of protests erupted in Sorbonne University (then University of Paris) one of the elite universities in France. The students had gathered in the amphitheatre of the university to voice their resentment against a government whose

policies had led to widespread class discrimination ant kept nearly three-fourth of French

youth unemployed. It was a movement inspired by the free speech declaration and the counter-culture movement in the US during the 1960s. However, unlike the anti-war protests in America, the Paris uprising dealt with issues closer to home. Rather than a political movement, it was more of a social revolution as it brought together people who belonged to all walks of life.  It was a rare blend of the university graduates, shopkeepers, factory workers, clerks and many more. Although they faced distinct issues, they came together to form a coalition of diverse groups with a single objective. A student movement soon turned into a social uprising that challenged the existing power structures and brought the French economy to a standstill. The recent decision to celebrate the 50^th anniversary signifies the crucial role it played in restoring French democracy.    

   A student-driven movement

In the current scenario where student politics is being chased out from college campuses, shutting out any room for dissent, the 1968 French uprising has a great bearing on student life in India. French president Charles de Gaulle commented that conservative policies and an outdated academic curriculum meant a scarcity of employment opportunities for the common people. In addition, workers’ issues of long working hours and low wages combined to form an umbrella movement and gave a platform for the creative expression of public opinion. Dissent was expressed in the form of graffiti on walls and buildings. The slogan It is forbidden to forbid ( Ilest interdit d’interdire) was a reminder that civil rights were a citizen’s most valued asset. The protests posed a law and order situation in many parts of the city. However, it didn’t turn into a civil war as the government feared. The numerous strikes in factories and colleges signified the turbulent atmosphere of the period. It forced authorities to pay heed to the fears and anxieties of the people.

A new wave of communism

The Marxian ideology found its rightful place in the protests of May 1968. Before the uprising, the communists had already gained a stronghold over the French Parliament forming the far-Left bloc in France. Trade unions were seen as representatives of the working class and all was well – or so it seemed. It took an entire nation’s citizenry to show the real picture.                                                       

Where some are more equal than others

As far as French youth were concerned, true socialism was a thing of the past. Through the years, the Marxist ideology had been manipulated and tailored to suit the needs of a few.

Trade unions allowed little room for dissent. Majority opinions always prevailed. Moreover, the leaders of these trade unions were highly influential people, many of whom had direct contact with the members in the Parliament. Thus, a noble idea had fallen into the wrong hands crushing its very spirit. In a nation with acute class discrimination, where an unseen line divided the haves and the have-nots, the period from May 2 1968- June 23, 1968 was a new beginning. Every section of French society – workers, students, activists, women and minorities rallied around a common objective. Their slogan ‘All power to the imagination’ even attracted students from foreign universities who came in to support the cause. It shaped a generation of youth driven by a thirst for freedom. 

Student protests and the emergency

The Paris uprising had nothing similar to the student protests in India, but it had many common features with the Emergency. One reason was that the movement in France derived a formula which could be put to use for student-led political movements in India. The period during the Emergency provided perfect ground to practice this formula. In fact, the Emergency was one major cause for the rise of student politics in India. The then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s style of governance was considered authoritarian. Her decision to suspend the Constitution and assume all power proved to be the last straw. Strikes, lockdowns and hartals were common occurrences during this period. Many politicians and student activists were arrested. Those who escaped were forced into hiding. The student movement in France and the Emergency in India were more or less cast in the same mould. Both had a great impact on individual psyche and both ultimately restored true democracy to their countries.

Lessons to learn

Youth today have a lot to learn from the 1968 uprising. When self-styled patriots attempt to silence critics and writers and intellectuals in India are being targeted by vigilante groups for holding critical views of the government, it would and must remind us of the need to uphold one of the basic tenets of our constitution.

So what if I'm not fair

For a typical Indian family, marriages are the one occasion to which every member of the family looks forward to. It starts from the day when the boy’s mother starts lamenting about how the household chores has been increasing day by day and asks the boy’s father to find a suitable girl for their son. At the same time the girl’s father will be running after brokers and giving ads in matrimonials to find a prospective groom for their daughter. These days, people don’t need to have much creativity when writing out ads for matrimonials. The only thing which needs to be different is the family background of the bride and the bridegroom and their occupation. But one thing which sure needs to be in common is whether the girl is fair and pretty or whether the boy is fair and handsome. Well, you’ve seen what I meant.

Fairness is one big rage that has caught up with every Indian, especially an Indian. The booming cosmetic industry and the variety of Ayurvedic treatments that we seek help from are two major examples of the common man’s race to embrace modernity without ignoring the past. Cosmetic creams and talcum powders have turned out to become huge money spinners. No wonder such products flourish in the market. Commercial advertisements that endorse such products churn out notions that can develop stereotypes in the society. They say that if you’re not fair-skinned, you aren’t going to be successful in life. The way they make us believe that you can be fair in one day by just applying the cream clearly makes it evident that the whole thing was just a farce. But here too, the same Indian attitude of cashing in on the latest new fad repeats itself.

Even when we still haven’t solved the dilemma of dealing with prejudice and discrimination based on race and colour, the media further instills the ideology that if you aren’t fair, you aren’t beautiful. We go hammer and tongs when our fellow Indians are being mistreated in other countries. But when they are being ill-treated in the same Indian soil, we feel that sometimes, rules can be altered.

When one part of the media builds prejudices, some have tried to ward off these misgivings.  The prominent jewellery brand of India, Tanishq created an ad which raises social awareness on remarriage. It features a dusky young bride who is getting ready for her wedding. During the ceremony, her daughter signals to those seated next to her that she wants to join the couple. Her mother who is the bride hushes her up and continues with the ceremonial rites. Sensing the girl’s disappointment, the groom lifts her up and the three continue to make their rounds around the sacred fire. This heartwarming video soon went viral on YouTube.

This isn’t a grave issue among the vast other problems that we are drowned in. But in a way, it needs to be taken seriously. Mark Twain, the wittiest writer of all time once said, “The finest clothing made is a person’s own skin, but of course society demands more than this.” Touché!

 

  

Monsoon's Sly Companion

                           
The monsoons have arrived and so has our dear mosquito. I can write long poems on rain. Even a six-year old child can do that. The pitter-patter of raindrops, those lovely puddles that we love to jump into, and the fragrance of wet mud….the child in me is dying to be poetic. Unfortunately, I cannot. An eighteen-year old with all the practical knowledge she has gained over the years, whose textbooks have taught her that rain is caused due to the evaporation and condensation of air cannot cling on to her childhood fantasies. Hence, she gradually shifts focus to something ubiquitous, but extremely important.

It’s nearly 6:00pm and the sun is still reluctant to go away. Meanwhile, our most unwelcome guests have arrived and the whole neighbourhood is all prepared to shut the doors on them even before they come knocking on the door.‘Athithi Devo Bhavah’ doesn’t work out here. But friends don’t need a special invitation, do they?

One small mosquito bite shall inspire you to fight till your last breath. We Indians are not very much into the game of tennis but mosquitos encourage us to indulge in this ‘sport’. Losing in your home ground is a bit humiliating. The mosquitos are aware of this. So they voluntarily decide to undergo the electric shock. Most often they end up sacrificing their lives. (A moment of silence)

Sleepless nights would have been an unknown thing if it weren’t for them. A doctor is required only so long as there are patients to be treated. My dear mosquito repellants and liquid vaporizers, understand the truth that necessity is the mother of invention. You wouldn’t have been invented if they weren’t foolish enough to barge into rooms filled with you odour. You make us feel drowsy enough so that we lapse into a deep sleep. But they come to our rescue and sound the bugle in our ears just so that we aren’t poisoned to death.

  Like I said before, mosquitos awaken us from deep slumbers. My mother woke up a few minutes ago to see me writing paeans for an insignificant creature.  There are big red marks all over her face and she is planning to wield the racquet once again.  I only hope that a deuce is possible. Then, there won’t be any hard feelings.

I was burning the midnight oil unable to keep my eyes open, let alone study. That was when you bit me on my hand and I discovered my lost creativity. Thanks buddy for being such an inspiration to me.

A Classroom and some fleeting memories

 
Having studied in a co-ed school from kindergarten to high school, never in my wildest dreams did I think that one day I would join a girl’s school. The broiler chicken in me waned off over time after I moved to Kerala from Chennai. Chennai was my first home and indeed it was a painful departure. But neither was it the Partition nor the Stone Age that you could never see your friends ever again. So I slowly tuned in to my new settings.

My learning process spanned over three educational systems. All of them have one thing in common --- academic bulimia, where you simply throw up whatever you learn from textbooks. However, you can’t blame the schools because our modern education system is hell-bent on teaching us that way. But apart from this, one thing that makes life after high school exceptional is the natural ease that comes along with the academic bulimia.

Normally, an average class is a mix of the class clowns and pranksters, nerds and all-rounders—more like mixed vegetable soup. But my class is a blend of just one variety – the naughty ones and the multi- faceted characters. Of this, the naughty ones make up an overwhelming majority—an extremely spicy dish where chilly was the main ingredient. I still wonder how Ceema Miss even managed to stand between us.

 Humanities is a pretty dull subject to opt for. If a story of kings and queen could be made so vibrant with Mini Miss’ unpredictable jokes, we realized that politics was not just a story on Indian elections. It was also about Shiny Miss who never once suspected us of all the mischief we’ve done in her class. Then comes Gisha Miss who is also a child like us—a child who can be both naughty and nice. English wouldn’t have been fun if we didn’t get to listen to our Jilsy Miss find herself at a loss for words to speak Malayalam—a language that had cast a spell on her tongue.  When it comes to our Malayalam teacher, she is what the name suggests, literally. Seena Miss can be a Malayalam dictionary when she wants to.

Forgive me if I’m getting carried away. But I’ll feel myself guilty if I don’t write on our Economics teachers --- Ceema Miss and Sr. Annjose. If one was the innocent wide-eyed pussycat, the other was its stoic-faced mother, and a person who cracked jokes like normally.

In this rat race called life, it is these uncommon characters that splashed colour to my otherwise dull canvas. If my previous school dug out the writer in me, Sacred Heart’s  unearthed the woman of substance buried inside me.

                 

Not Just a Car

It was no crowd puller. Nor did it own striking features like an Anti-Lock Braking System or a power steering. . Yet my family maintained a close-knit relationship even though it left us three years ago. I still remember the day we bought the golden wagon. It was just another warm summer evening for the rest of our neighbourhood. People flocked to the beach after a tiring day’s work and kites could be seen streaming along with the northern winds. We had been sitting with crossed fingers and were anxiously waiting for it to arrive when we heard the honking of a car outside. In fact, in its eyes I could see the same eagerness we had to meet our new friend.

When one talks about his/her car giving it a nostalgic touch, we attribute it to a Volkswagen or other vintage cars. But this was just an ordinary Maruti Suzuki Zen – a typical vehicle for a middle class family living in a typical Indian society.

It wasn’t one of our wildest dreams to own a car. But it was one of our unfulfilled dreams to own one fitted with an AC. The box-like structure with its dark tinted glass and a not so good looking face was just another hatchback. It was a second-hand vehicle. Yet it was something more to us.  Other than a few dents on the back and a couple of scratches on the bumper, it was like brand new to us. Even when my brother slammed the gate open and broke the headlights, and when it had to bear with my mother’s constant mishaps at the parking lot, it stood like a faithful dog and bore with our careless mistakes.

Now while I have written paeans in memory of a plain old car, you might ask why I got rid of it then. After a couple of breakdowns and numerous scratches that had been daubed on it as the fruit of our bad driving, we felt the need for a change.

I still remember the day it left us. And when it went away never to return, I felt a sudden pang in my heart. And I knew that the rest of us felt the same

Dad

W

hen I stood perplexed in the dais, it was he who revitalized me and made me silver-tongued. It was through his inspiration that I started to write. If it wasn’t for him I would never be able to enjoy the pleasures of life. If it wasn’t for him my family would never have risen to this position. For eight years, I had lived a life worth royalty. But when he flew away never to return, my life became dismantled. His pale grey eyes looked at me as a last glimpse and a radiant smile appeared on his face as he closed his eyes and enjoyed the beauty of heaven. It was a true reminiscence I can never forget. I had spent eight years of my life with a saint — my Dad.