Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Laila Ni'matul Munawaroh

“Romeo and Juliet” is a love story and tragedy written by the famous English writer and poet, William Shakespeare. It has become one of the most popular and influential works of literature in the world, depicting a tragic and timeless love story that explores universal themes such as love, hatred, revenge, destiny, and rebellion.

The story was written in 1595-1596 and is set in Verona, Italy, at the time of a long-standing feud between two noble families - the Montague and Capulet. The enmity between the Montague and Capulet families becomes the main driver of conflict in the story and the tragedy that befalls Romeo and Juliet.

The main characters, Romeo and Juliet, are portrayed as impulsive, and filled with passion. They fall in love instantly and intensely, and their love is described as pure, sincere, and overcoming all obstacles. However, they are also portrayed as naive and immature, with their impulsiveness and emotionality making them wrong in their decisions. In addition, Romeo and Juliet also have complexities as individuals. Romeo is portrayed as a sensitive and poetic young man, with melancholic and romantic tendencies. It is depicted by Romeo's poetic and flowery way of speaking revealing his romantic and idealistic nature. The dialogues “Lady, by yonder blessed moon I vow, that tips with silver all these fruit-tree tops” and “it is my soul that calls upon my name. How silver-sweet sound lovers' tongues by night, like softest music to attending ears”, is one of my favorite parts which shows how romantic Romeo is. He struggles with his conflicting hopes and dreams. Society and his family always put pressure on him and burden him with high expectations. Meanwhile, Juliet is portrayed as strong and determined. She struggles with her conflicting loyalties to her family and her love for Romeo, and must make difficult choices with great consequences.

The story has rich characterizations, beautiful language, and sharp explorations. It also has a direct emotional impact, and has the encouragement to keep your spirits up and not give up in the fight for love. However, in this story, Romeo is portrayed as rash and lets his emotions control his decisions, resulting in an unexpected and tragic tragedy.

With this story, William Shakespeare shows that love is a powerful force and overcomes values, loyalty, and other emotions, showing that in the face of trials, we must keep our spirits up and not give up fighting for it. The story also raises social issues of the early modern period, such as marriage, family, and violence.