A Tragic Satire on Courtly Love

Elizabeth McBroom EI PIB 10 March 3, 2008

The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet so titled by its author, William Shakespeare, definitely follows the pattern of a Sophoclean tragedy through the establishment of a tragic hero, a man of importance, who exhibits a tragic flaw, a mistake in judgment or character, which causes his downfall. The reading and viewing audience of this

Shakespearean tragedy experiences a catharsis similar to the emotional release desired by the ancient Greeks in the culmination of their tragedies. As well as being an exemplar tragedy, Romeo and Juliet is also a commentary on the Renaissance ideal of courtly love.

As Romeo and Juliet act out the different levels of the love process according to the courtly rules, Mercutio provides running commentary ridiculing these expectations as he debases the Renaissance ideal sometimes to the point of accentuating pure animalistic desire.

Shakespeare introduces Romeo as the melancholy lover who “many a morning hath been seen, / With tears augmenting the fresh morning’s dew, / Adding to clouds more clouds with his deep sighs” (1.1.122-124). He is depressed because he longs for his lover; therefore, “Away from light steals home [Romeo]/ And private in his chamber pens himself, / Shuts up his windows, locks the daylight out, / And makes himself an artificial night” (1.1.128-131). When Benvolio questions Romeo’s behavior, Romeo admits that he is sad because he does not have “…that which having makes [the hours] short” (1.1.155) because he is “out of her favor where [he] is in love” (1.1.159). Of course, unrequited love is a prerequisite for the Renaissance ideal of courtly love.

Romeo’s paradoxical speech exemplifies the muddle headed lover who cannot focus on Elizabeth McBroom 2

anything but the “ misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms” (1.1.170) in his heightened state of passion.

Shakespeare adds a courtly fool to his romantic tragedy who speaks in jest but

tells the truth—Mercutio. This character’s humorous and often tawdry lines satirize the

idealized concept of love that captivated the Renaissance audience by accentuating the

obvious physical nature of love or by pointing out the illogical nature of the unhappy

lover. For example, as the group of young men approaches the Capulet’s ball, Romeo

again acknowledges his melancholy nature when he says, “Give me a torch. I am not for

this ambling. / Being heavy, I will bear the light” (1.4.11-12) and refuses to dance

because he has “…a soul of lead / So stakes [him] to the ground [he] cannot move”

(1.4.15-16). Mercutio retorts, “You are a lover. Borrow Cupid’s wings / And soar with

them above a common bound” (1.4.17-18). Mercutio’s view is that love should make a

person soar with happiness instead of pinning him miserably to earth.

(This unfinished essay is an example of how to write a literary analysis using citations from the play. This is only an example!)

Be sure to thoroughly prove your point by using the best quotes from the play and clear commentary (explanation).

Look carefully at the punctuation of the quotes. Be sure to put your citations outside the quotation marks. The period that indicates the end of a sentence should come after the citation. Drop the punctuation at the end of the quote unless it is a question mark or an exclamation point.