Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, what is in the name
Shakespeare in Romeo and Juliet, what is in the name
Manzoor Mosiani
Articles

Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) born in Stratford – Upon – Avon, Warwickshire in England. He wrote 37 plays from 1590 to 1613, known as the bard of England as well. Interestingly, after a passage of four hundred years his plays are still relevant and read as enthralling, hilarious, thoughtful piece of fiction, either in the form of tragedies or comedies.

Shakespeare (1564 – 1616) born in Stratford – Upon – Avon, Warwickshire in England. He wrote 37 plays from 1590 to 1613, known as the bard of England as well. Interestingly, after a passage of four hundred years his plays are still relevant and read as enthralling, hilarious, thoughtful piece of fiction, either in the form of tragedies or comedies.

The stories have been translated as many as eighty languages. It’s the choice of words, phrases, sentences and portrayal of the situation which make them lasting. The love and hate, sympathy and jealousy, simplicity and cunning, kind and deceitful, opportunists and selfless, indifferent and interested, concerned and careless, intimates and aliens, fame and fortune all are there as live actors.

There is another perspective, that the fame of Shakespeare is because of the fact that the Englishmen took along with them his works as conquerors throughout the world to make him so widely known, is also partly true. Romeo and Juliet, is one of such a dramatic works known around the world.

Romeo and Juliet was folklore in circulation since fifteenth century. Arthur Brooke poem The Tragically Historic of Romeo and Juliet was published in 1562 in England, whose source was French. It is attributed, the love story has occurred in the city of Verona – Italy. Thenbeing ruled by the Esculas – the prince. Due to the indifferent attitude of the prince the city’s peace was in plague, the houses – clans of Capulet and Montague were bloodletting every day of each and other in the streets of Verona.

The main character of the play, Romeo a Montague was a philanderer young man, gone mad after seeing a beauty of the opposite clan with whom they were in clash – the Capulet, even lived in the bushto abandon everything. Thus, his close friend mocked him by saying that: Young man love by their eyes then not truly by their hearts. His objective was to calm down the situation through lowering his passions by teasing him.

The Capulet household arranged a party to get the consent of the would be groom, by allowing him an opportunity to choose the best bride amongst them. However, the father of Juliet was confident and expressed by boasting that ‘’perhaps after seeing a wide selection, my daughter may be number one, though they say one isn’t a number. ‘’

Romeo disguised and attended the party, to be locatedby the Capulet youth to their anger. While, the elders of Capuletintervened to accepthim to stay in the party, as per their values and they treated him with due respect. Meanwhile he caught the attention of Juliet and their hearts begin to beat in a rhythm, a meeting of the love birds, in the same night occurred in their family gardenas well, to continue up till dawn, to chart the future course of action.

When Romeo introduced himself as being from the warring tribeof Montague, Juliet was surprised to say ‘’ its only your name that’s my enemy you would be the same, even if you were not a Montague. What is a Montague? it is not a hand a foot or an arm or a face or any other part belonging to a man. Take some other name! what is in the name. what we call a rose smell as sweet, whatever word we used for it. If Romeo were not called Romeo still he retains his dear perfection without his name. Romeo give up your name and in exchange for that name, which is not part of you, take all of me.’’

What is in the name, has remained a catch phrase, for those who think in or think above the race relationships, the reasons can be vey many. Tribal groups, nature versus nurture theory

Influence of environment and inbreeding, might is right are historical facts toexplain the situation, which has shaped the flow of events to anecdotes in the annals. Whatsoever, the inborn bias has cost much to the week.

The French 19th-century sociologist Emile Durkheim coined a phrase for it: collective Effervescence. It helps form our sense of who we are, effects of a shared identity. The name Juliet took for granted, had done wonders, not only as a mark of identification, but in the shaping of history. Tribal cultures, religious congregations, broad masses, professional skills, caste systems, status consciousness,class characteristics all factors have duly contributed, in what we are.

A common identity socially strengthens the bonds, makes people happier, healthier and keeps them in higher spirits. ‘’The most of the six million years of human evolution, all humans and proto-humans lived somewhat like glorified chimpanzees, at low population densities, scattered over the landscape as families or small bands.’’If that was the age to require a name, have a name, is ancient enough to keep the bonds and difficult enoughto argue on what is in the name.