topic sentences Flashcards
(102 cards)
1
Q
What are the intentions of the exploration of young love?
A
To explore and capture the intensity, impulsiveness and beauty of young love, highlighting how love can both be uplifting yet destructive
Young love is depicted as having both positive and negative consequences.
2
Q
What warning is given regarding feuds and hatred?
A
To warn against the destructive nature feuds and hatred encapsulate
Feuds can lead to significant harm and turmoil.
3
Q
What does the text explore regarding control over life?
A
To explore how much control people have over their own lives versus being ruled by fate
This theme questions the balance between free will and destiny.
4
Q
What aspect of youth is highlighted in relation to decision-making?
A
To expose the impulsivity of youth and how rash decisions and emotional intensity can lead to catastrophe
Impulsive actions often result in dire consequences.
5
Q
What societal expectations are challenged?
A
To challenge social and familial expectations, which often clash with individual desire
Individual desires may conflict with societal norms.
6
Q
What critique is made regarding male violence?
A
To critique male violence and toxic masculine pride which lead to chaos and death
Toxic masculinity can perpetuate cycles of violence.
7
Q
How is love portrayed in the context of impulsivity?
A
Portrays love as intense and passionate but also impulsive and dangerous when unbalanced by reason
The balance of reason is crucial in the context of love.
8
Q
What theme is emphasized concerning fate?
A
To highlight power and inevitability of fate and celestial bodies
Fate is often depicted as an uncontrollable force.
9
Q
What is explored as a destructive force?
A
To explore honour as a destructive force
Honour can lead to conflict and violence.
10
Q
What does the audience get encouraged to question?
A
To encourage the audience to question traditional gender roles
Traditional roles may limit individual potential.
11
Q
What duality is presented regarding human nature?
A
To present the duality of human nature
Human nature encompasses both good and bad tendencies.
12
Q
What are the consequences of impulsive actions?
A
To demonstrate the consequences of impulsive, passion-driven actions
Impulsive actions can lead to tragic outcomes.
13
Q
What is emphasized regarding social conflicts?
A
To emphasise the tragic cost of social conflicts and feuds
Social conflicts can have devastating effects on individuals and communities.
14
Q
What conflict is shown between personal and social expectations?
A
To show conflict between personal desire and social expectation
Personal desires often clash with societal norms.
15
Q
What tragic cost is highlighted in prioritizing social conventions?
A
To highlight the tragic cost of prioritising social order and conventions over love and family
Social conventions can undermine personal relationships.
16
Q
What does the text criticize regarding patriarchy?
A
To criticise the patriarchy in controlling women’s lives: this is leading to the violence so much be wrong
Patriarchy often perpetuates cycles of abuse and control.
17
Q
What complexity is highlighted in human nature?
A
To highlight the complexity of human nature
Human behavior is influenced by various factors, making it multifaceted.
18
Q
How does the play open to showcase violence?
A
Play opens with violence based on masculine pride between servants to show how deeply stemmed male violence is within society, it is normalised
The normalization of violence sets the tone for the narrative.
19
Q
How does the audience perceive male violence?
A
Audience positioned to view aggressive male violence as ridiculous from the offset, manipulates audience to view any later acts of violence as foolish
The portrayal encourages critical thinking about violence.
20
Q
What does the opening brawl signify?
A
Opens with a brawl to highlight that male violence is needless and unnecessary, in a public place to highlight how it impacts on the whole community
Public displays of violence affect societal dynamics.
21
Q
How does Shakespeare critique male anger?
A
Almost all of the male characters are quick to anger - Shakespeare could be critiquing the patriarchy in that it encourages the toxic male violence as it stems from here
The quickness to anger reflects societal conditioning.
22
Q
What is violence seen as a manifestation of?
A
Seen as a manifestation of conflict
Violence often symbolizes deeper societal issues.
23
Q
what is violence based on?
A
Violence is based on honour and revenge
Honour and revenge often fuel violent actions.
24
Q
What type of violence is exemplified by Lord Capulet?
A
Verbal / emotional violence in form of Lord Capulet: power dynamics can be just as destructive as physical violence
Emotional abuse can have lasting impacts.
25
What idea does Shakespeare challenge regarding honour?
Shakespeare challenges the idea that honour must be defended through violence
## Footnote
This challenges traditional views of masculinity.
26
how is love presented?
- overwhelming, aiding our choices and emotions heavily
- caring and affectionate with undertones of passion
- something foolish and conflicted
- presented as intense and impulsive
- spiritual and transcendent
27
petrarchan love
- criticises
- it isn't real but and over the top, melodramatic fantasy that is a result of a society that prevents true love from flourishing due to rigid social structures and patriarchal expectations that prioritise honour and duty
28
romeo and mercutio love
- foils, contrasting attitudes to love, sentimental and passionate compared to pragmatic and practical
- polarisation of two characters highlight they are both wrong
29
love and hate and consequence
- explores how love should take precedence over hate, and hen it doesn't mass tragedy ensues
30
love and violence
- synonymous
- love is inextricably linked with violence from the moment their love is created
31
romeo linked to love and violence
- used as a tool
- he is an example of the entwined duality, portraying him as the embodiments of love and violence within a single individual
32
union of love and violence
Union of two seemingly contradictory terms throughout the play seems to portray the concept that humans are complex, multifaceted creatures
33
why does he intertwine love and death
shakespeare intertwined love and death to show how extreme emotions and passion can lead to violence
34
love and violence as inseparable forces
Shakespeare presents love and violence as inseparable forces by showing how the lovers’ passion leads directly to their tragic deaths, suggesting that extreme emotion — even love — can be destructive
35
contrast between r and js romantic love and violence of feud
Through the contrast between Romeo and Juliet’s romantic love and the brutal violence of the family feud, Shakespeare criticises a society where hatred and honour override personal happiness
36
relationship as passionate and dangerous
Shakespeare presents the lovers’ relationship as both passionate and dangerous, using their secret marriage and eventual suicides to show how love cannot survive in a world built on hatred.
37
inner conflict
to show that inner conflict mirrors the larger social chaos
38
patriarchal control and emotions
to show how patriarchal control and lack of understanding between generations cause emotional violence.
39
fate beliefs
- Belief that fate was predetermined by a higher power
40
fate intentions
- To show that fate is unavoidable and powerful — no matter how much love or effort the characters put in, their deaths are destined
- To show how trying to resist fate is pointless.
41
blame
- Shakespeare uses the characters’ belief in fate and fortune to highlight how they blame fate and destiny instead of taking responsibility for their actions and actions
- Shakespeare presents these reactions to fate to explore how people often look for external forces to blame when faced with the consequences of their own behaviour
- Shakespeare may be criticising a tendency in human nature to avoid personal responsibility, while also suggesting that fate and free will are deeply connected — that in trying to escape fate, the characters actually bring it about themselves
42
prominence of fate
- fate plays a central role, shaping the lives and deaths of the protagonists
- Creates an element of inevitability
- Establishes a tragic tone
- Creates a cyclical structure from the opening scene to the final act
- Reflects the Elizabethan’s fascination with astrology and predestination
43
fate as both predetermined and shaped by free will
- By presenting fate as both predetermined and yet shaped by free will, Shakespeare might be exploring the complexity of human experience
- Shakespeare might be suggesting that while fate ultimately controls the big picture, the characters’ choices still influence the course of their lives — and in the end, their choices contribute to their tragic fate.
- Through the duality of fate and free will, Shakespeare explores how the characters’ sense of destiny is intertwined with their personal choices, leading to their tragic end.
- Shakespeare’s intention could be to reflect the human struggle between fate and agency, demonstrating how even when people attempt to fight against fate, their actions often contribute to fulfilling it e.g defiance of familial and societal divisions capulet ball, secret marriage in defiance of hatred and expectations, friar lawrence tries to manipulate fate, ultimate suicide
44
opening patriarchy
- Opens with men brawling, using vulgar language to highlight the disrespect women face, and immediately open audience’s eyes, highlight one of main themes of play
45
consequences of patriarchal authority
- Shakespeare highlights the consequences of patriarchal authority when Lord Capulet’s anger and refusal to listen to Juliet leads to emotional distress and pushes her to take extreme actions.
46
portrays patriarchy
- Shakespeare portrays the patriarchy through the way characters like Lord Capulet impose their authority on their daughters, illustrating how societal norms limit women's freedom and choice.
47
restrictive nature of gender dynamics
- By presenting Capulet’s domineering control over Juliet, Shakespeare exposes the restrictive nature of these gender dynamics, illustrating how the patriarchal system forces women into subservient roles, even in matters of love and marriage.
48
youth
- Shakespeare presents the youth in Romeo and Juliet as impetuous and driven by intense emotions, particularly through Romeo and Juliet's impulsive decision to marry after only a brief encounter
49
youth actions of romeo
- Through the rash actions of Romeo, such as his immediate retaliation against Tybalt, Shakespeare illustrates how youthful impulsiveness can lead to tragic consequences.
50
progression of love youth
- The swift progression of Romeo and Juliet's love, from meeting to marriage, exemplifies how the youth in the play act without fully considering the long-term consequences of their actions.
51
honour
- Shakespeare presents family honour as a driving force behind the violence and conflict between the Montagues and Capulets, showing how personal pride can lead to destructive consequences.
52
honour through lc and tybalt
- Through characters like Lord Capulet and Tybalt, Shakespeare highlights how the need to protect family honour leads to impulsive actions and exacerbates the feud between the two families.
53
family v individual
- Shakespeare contrasts the concept of family honour with individual desires by showing how the Montagues and Capulets prioritise their familial reputation over the happiness of their children.
- The emphasis on family honour in Romeo and Juliet reflects the rigid societal expectations of the time, where loyalty to one’s family is often considered more important than personal relationships.
54
duality
- Shakespeare’s intention might be to explore the complexity of human nature, suggesting that love and hate are not mutually exclusive but can be deeply intertwined, especially when influenced by family loyalty and personal desire.
- Shakespeare likely intended to show how societal constraints push individuals to live dual lives, where personal desires are hidden to maintain the appearance of public propriety.
55
juliet gender
- Shakespeare likely intended to portray Juliet as a more complex and active figure, encouraging the audience to question the narrow, idealized roles assigned to women in his time.
56
romeo gender
- Through the character of Romeo, Shakespeare highlights the traditional masculinity of the time, with Romeo driven by honor, emotion, and violence, reflecting the societal expectations of male behavior.
57
romeo impulse gender
- Shakespeare might have used Romeo’s impulsive actions and emotional outbursts to show how rigid gender expectations for men — valuing aggression, dominance, and honor — can lead to destructive consequences.
58
mercutio and tybalt gender
- Shakespeare explores the limitations of gender roles through characters like Mercutio and Tybalt, whose behavior is influenced by societal expectations of masculinity, particularly regarding honor and violence.
59
male characters trapped
- By portraying these male characters as trapped in the need to defend their honor through aggression, Shakespeare may have been criticizing the narrow definitions of masculinity in his society and the harmful impact these expectations had on individuals.
60
adult-child conflict
- Shakespeare may have intended to explore the conflict between the desires of youth and the expectations of authority, showing how the older generation’s rigid views of marriage and obedience clash with the passionate independence of youth.
61
lord capulet adult-child
- Through the character of Lord Capulet, Shakespeare illustrates the authoritarian nature of adult-child relationships in a patriarchal society, where children are expected to comply with their parents' wishes, often at the expense of their personal happiness.
62
romeo and parents
- The relationship between Romeo and his parents is largely absent, highlighting the emotional neglect and lack of guidance that contributes to his impulsive and reckless behavior, suggesting that a lack of adult influence can lead to destructive consequences.
63
nurse and juliet
- Shakespeare presents the relationship between Nurse and Juliet as one of affection and intimacy, contrasting the colder, more authoritative relationship between Juliet and her parents, and emphasizing the role of female mentorship in shaping a young woman’s decisions.
- Shakespeare’s intention could have been to highlight the emotional support and loyalty a surrogate maternal figure can offer, presenting the Nurse as a counterpoint to the more traditional, controlling figure of Lady Capulet.
64
romeo's purpose
- Cause of tragedy could be seen as a result of his impulsive and immature behaviour, he is a fickle manipulator of women
- However could be seen as being overcome by love / lust rather than violence, effeminate, rejecting traditional gender stereotypes - brave, seeking escapism from the violence he is frustrated with, victim of society
- Used as a tool to highlight Petrarchan love isn’t real, but an over the top, melodramatic fantasy that is a result of a society that prevents love from flourishing: his sorrow worthy of ridicule - rosaline seems insignificant and it seems ironic as audience know there is worst to come, dramatic irony as we know it is a tragedy
- Used as a tool to subvert gender roles and undermine 16th century stereotypes
- Used as a tool to highlight problems caused by emotional intensity
- Used as a tool to criticise Elizabethan tendency to blame all negative consequences on fate rather than take responsibility for their actions, or blame society and rigid expectations
- Foil to Mercutio & friar laurence in terms of love
65
romeo petrarchan love
- the exemplary petrarchan lover, as he is in a constant state of self-melancholy
- romeo exemplifies the archetypal Petrarchan lover, who is in an unrequited state of love
- he is a self-conscious sufferer, driven by his unrequited love for rosaline, causing him to isolate himself from society - a common trope of the petrachan lover
- initially preoccupied with the concept of love, embodied by his infatuation for rosaline
66
romeo violence
- romeo is violent because he is a product of the patriarchy
67
romeo friar
- his confession of love to friar lawrence shows him to have a lack of paternal guidance from his own father and thus gravitate towards the non-judgemental friar, therefore religion
68
romeo gender emotion
- audience never gets to see romeo’s natural disposition as he is always ruled by emotion, whether in the form of unrequited love or his infatuation with juliet, implies he has no identity free of emotion so could be seen as feminine
69
juliet on surface patriarchy
- Powerless to her father’s plans for arranged marriage, reliant on men - her father then romeo, victim of a patriarchal society - commodity for her father’s gain then manipulated by romeo, suicide is a demonstration of weakness inability to fight
70
juliet deep down
- However could be a brave, independent woman when she marries romeo for love, rational, stoic, pragmatic, intelligent character who has a positive impact on romeo- sways him away from violence, suicide as a final act of strength, symbolically highlighting her refusal to accept the role society is forcing her into
71
juliet introduction
- She isn’t introduced until later on in the play to highlight unimportance of her as a woman, her father discusses her own marriage without her their
- Initially presented as obedient and respectful using formal language demonstrating social class, presented as the perfect aristocratic daughter as she is submissive
72
juliet rebellious
- shakespeare constructs her as rebellious in her nature to elicit fear from the audience, fearful that younger women would be able to rebel and defy the patriarchy and societal expectations, if young girls are breaking social order, then the construct isn’t working, fearful from beginning
- Independent, mature and rebellious around Romeo, he has an impact on her ALT she puts on front around family, emotionally intelligent - knows what they want so provides it
73
juliet leo
- born under Leo: born on ‘Lammas Day’ which is July 31st, she reflects archetypal leo’s in being fiery and headstrong: revealed in act 1 scene 3, foreshadowing juliet’s future defiance
74
juliet love
- Fluent in the language of love, philautia, storge
- when herself and romeo first meet, the first 14 lines they speak are written in a sonnet, shows a sense of understanding and pure love straight away, contrasting to fickle, erotic love for rosaline, marks end of exposition and beginning of rising action
- epitome of Shakespearean love
75
juliets death
- her death is a reminder of the destructive power of feuds
76
juliet love and violence
- juliet is portrayed as the embodiment of the conflicts of love and violence within a single individual
77
juliet rosaline
- foil to rosaline who, unlike rosaline that symbolises an abstract concept of perfect love, she represents a complete and romantic relationship
78
lady capulet peace
- Calls for violence to stop in act 1 scene 1, highlighting a pragmatic approach to violence from women, calm and measure compared to her husband
- Foil to her husband as she wants to keep peace, unlike him
79
lady capulet patriarchy
- Much less lines compared to her husband highlighting how women were submissive and seen as inferior to men, they were controlled by their husband in every aspect of life including their speech
- Her position in society is determined by her marriage, dependent on Capulet, financially motivated
- Could be seen as a victim of patriarchy
- epitomises traditional elizabethan woman
80
lady capulet juliet
- Distant relationship with juliet, as a result of traditional aristocratic women employing a nurse to look after their child
81
lady capulet society
- constructs her to prioritise a socially advantageous marriage over her own daughter’s happiness and wellbeing
- presented as a puppet of societal conventions, influenced by her own experiences of marrying young
- illustrates the tragic outcomes of blindly adhering to social conventions
82
lord capulet modern approach change
- Initially seen to embrace a modern approach to marriage, but archaic attitude shines through with ‘ripe’ implying his attitude is more oppressive and he sees juliet as a commodity whose value could grow as she gets older
- Father who initially appears protective but eventually reveals his controlling, aggressive behaviour, treating juliet like a commodity for his own gain in terms of power / status / wealth but does show guilt / remorse at the end
- Could be seen as a victim of masculine honour, a good man has been turned abusive as a result of societies’ ideologies
- conflicted between being a loving father and what society expects him to do
- acts as a villain, ultimately highlighting that he values status over his daughter, contrary to the previous scenes
83
capulet patriarchy
- emblematic of the patriarchy
- constructs lord capulet to symbolise the patriarchal and hierarchical structure of elizabethan society, he compels the audience to confront the oppressive nature of patriarchal systems and the damaging impact it can have
84
capulet progressive shakespeare
- shakespeare is progressive in the way he makes the audience questions societal constructs e.g the patriarchy through lord capulet
85
capulet death reaction
- his grief stricken outburst after juliet’s death is created to deliver a powerful message about the destructive nature of feuds and pride, audience forced to acknowledge destructive power of feuds and the importance of valuing love over hatred
86
tybalt foil
- Foil to Benvolio & mercutio, provokes and initiates violence compared to wit and playful attitude of mercutio
87
tybalt male masculine
Personification of aggressive male behaviour
- Seen as fiery, aggressive, defensive of family honour, violent, masculine, stereotypical male, uses violence to solve problems
- However could be a victim of society’s expectations on men
88
tybalt anger
- shown to be violent and quick to anger from onset: less than two lines from entrance, he offers up a fight ‘have at thee coward’
- violence and anger is his hamartia, but also lack of understanding about implications of violence - led to death
- folly of youth, quick to anger: foolish, in order to protect family and reputation
- constructed to personify male violence, fueled by hubris and honour
89
tybalts death
- through tybalt’s death ending through violent means, shakespeare critiques the folly of youth and want for violence
90
nurse patriarchy trust
- Trusted mother figure to juliet, who eventually breaks trust by suggesting juliet should marry paris due to being unable to fight against capulet
- Could be seen as a victim of patriarchy, tries to remain loyal to juliet by defending her to capulet but does not have the strength juliet possesses to break free of her gender role and fight him when he becomes aggressive - constrained by her social class
91
nurse juliet
- shows excessive adoration towards juliet to juxtapose with emotionally conservative relationship between juliet and her mother, helps to accentuate tragic undertones of familial feuds
- used to highlight the stark contrasts and flaws within juliet’s relationship with lady capulet
92
nurse working class
- constructed by shakespeare as a parody of the working class, therefore providing comic relief for the audience
- melodramatic and bawdy language provides a brief escape from the tragic nature of the play
- sexually motivated, erotic
93
friar religion
- As a religious figure, he is more trustworthy for the religious elizabethan audience, gives him a superiority over the other characters in the play, he is an extension of God so trust him more
- seems pansophic
- seems on a higher level compared to other characters as he is a wise, religious figure yet still makes mistakes which directly contribute to the tragedy - only human: elicit fear in elizabethan audience - if religion can’t save the tragedy, what can?, humans completely subject to fate
94
friar feurd
- Means well, wants to end the feud, believes in love and not arranged marriage
- even friar who wasn’t directly involved in feud to begin with, still becomes included, can’t escape it, destructive nature of feuds
- progressive actions from the friar ultimately futile, as society didn’t work together - folly of male youth in tybalt etc.
95
friar old v young
- calm in comparison to romeo’s rash, impetuous nature, alluding to theme of old v young: shakespeare shows young to be associated with anger, rash but old to be associated with logic that comes of age: friar is the voice of shakespeare
96
benvolio peace accountability
- Portrayed as a peacemaker, level-headed and aware of the dangers that fighting has caused in the past, highlighted in name meaning good will, benevolence
- Used to highlight that we are all accountable for our own actions, if Benvolio can do it, we all can, no excuses, it is possible, stop blaming everything on fate to assuage guilt
97
mercutio comedy
- Comedic, comic relief of the play, doesn’t believe in love, believes in sex and using women
98
mercutio tragic figure
- However could be seen as a tragic figure as he is homosexual but not free to express himself, victim of 16th century societal expectations on men
99
mercutio romeo
- Foil to Romeo: two characters balance each other out, but upon his death, the balance is broken abolishing the play’s comic relief as the play becomes a fully fledged tragedy
- he is more expressive and violent with language compared to romeo
100
mercutio toxic women
- Microcosmic for the young, toxic men within verona in terms of his consistent sexual language and wit
- personifies chauvinistic male view of love of the era
- ceaseless objectification and oppression of women shows he is the epitome of an egotistical man of the patriarchy
- overtly sexual
101
mercutio death
- death due to hastiness and impulsive nature similar to other protagonists is a criticism from shakespeare
- death sets wheels of fate in motion
102
gregory and sampson minor opening
- Opens with minor characters to reinforce the hatred between families + how deeply stemmed male violence is within society
- Presented as immature, aggressive and violent servants
- Reveal that the montagues and sampson have a strong rivalry and they will do anything to protect family honour
