Pride and Honor in the Time of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet Coursework

Pride and Honor in the Time of Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet - Coursework Example The sudden, fatal violence in the first scene of Act 3 and the accumulation of violence in the fight between Romeo and Tybalt reminds us that everything is focused on love, conflict, pride, and honor. Romeo and Juliet always occur in a male world in which notions of honor, pride, and the state are likely to erupt in a fury of conflict. Rage and danger in the social environment of the community are tools that Shakespeare uses to emphasize conflict and drama, making the lives of the characters seem even more precious and fragile. For example, compared to the relationship between Romeo and Juliet, the relationship between Romeo and Tybalt represents the brutal world in which their love is doomed. Clashes between Mercutio and Tybalt, as well as Romeo and Tybalt, are chaotic; Tybalt kills Mercutio under Romeo’s arm, flees, and then suddenly and inexplicably returns to fight Romeo, who kills for revenge. The pride and honor of violence are imposed at all times because, in this socie ty, violence is something that is equated with masculine honor. Romeo and Tybalt work to show how pride and honor work as a foil to love and tenderness in Verona society, represented by Romeo and Juliet. This is seen in Verona as a when the unwelcome reality of the society in which they must live rushes in to counteract their positive feelings of the union.