comparison between a passage of Macbeth and that of Romeo and Juliet

A detailed Summary of comparison between a passage of Macbeth and that of Romeo and Juliet

The passages that I chose from Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet serve as a contrast to each other, in terms of the atmosphere, language, images, symbols and the dramatic interpretations. Both are in blank verse, though the language (words) used in these passages bring out contrasting ideas. Both passages are a juxtaposition of extremes: Romeo's extreme love for Juliet and Tybalt's extreme hatred for the Montagues and the waking world of reality and the unnatural world of evil intermingle in the paranoid hallucinations in the insomnia of Macbeth.

The atmosphere in Macbeth (the passage chosen, that is) is very tensed. The punctuation used in the dialogue between Macbeth and Lady Macbeth shows the level of tension they are in. The rhythm at this point is rather curt. This has been produced by staccato (quick-fire) dialogue between the performers, Macbeth and Lady Macbeth when they show their tension by rapid, almost monosyllabic of question and answer:

Macbeth: I have done the deed. Didst thou not hear a noise?

Lady Macbeth: I heard the owl scream, and the crickets cry.

The atmosphere in Romeo and Juliet, on the other hand, is very rom

In the passages chosen, one can notice that Macbeth is written in the third person objective: characters do no speak directly to the audience but often give soliloquies. In his soliloquy, Shakespeare is able to capture the thoughts and feelings of Macbeth in a dramatic way. The audience is able to see his distress and turmoil and witness the way he invokes evil to support him and give him strength and composure to commit the deed. On the other hand, in Romeo and Juliet, the characters speak in verse and do so in a distinctive poetic style. Capulet's speech will seem naturalistic to the audience and near to prose. Tybalt's pair of couplets seems exceptionally formal, almost posed, like a stage villain's aside.

The irony of speech is also prevalent in Romeo and Juliet. Both Romeo and Juliet make prophetic statements in the passage chosen that inform the audience of the outcome as well: 'if he be married/ My grave is like to be my wedding bed.'

It seems she hangs upon the cheek of night

This holy shrine, the gentle sin is this;

Romeo: If I profane with my unworthiest hand

Shakespeare uses imagery in Romeo and Juliet as well. But the imagery used in the passage highlighted brings out the theme of the battle between love and hatred. The sonnet created by Romeo and Juliet follows immediately after a tensed moment when Tybalt is full of hatred for Romeo and is on the verge of killing him, only to be subdued by Capulet. Shakespeare cleverly contrasts this disorder of the first scene with the sonnet. When Romeo and Juliet begin to speak to one another, it is poetry in both a literal and figurative sense. The language utilised is romantic and full of imagery. When their speech is combined, it forms a sonnet. The talk of shrines and pilgrims is religious in nature, typical for the ideal of courtly love.

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Approximate Word count = 1403
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Miscellaneous