Love at First Sight Romeo and Juliet

As quoted by Maggie Stiefvater, "the world needs more love at first sight." Romeo is the classic example of love at first sight, and possibly the best known example for love at first sight. In the play Romeo and Juliet love at first sight is a main theme that takes place This was a common phenomenon that Shakespeare used in his works. . Many people in today's society look at the play Romeo and Juliet as their inspirational love story. Lines such as, "Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/ For I ne'er saw true beauty till this night"(I.v.59-60), are the lines that modern day people crave for. The lines that women wish were said to them today. Honestly though, does love at first sight exist? Romeo and Juliet's entire relationship happens over a period of four days, in today's society most do not even begin a relationship within four days. I believe that most girls of today's society read Romeo and Juliet and are actually jealous of their relationship. Most people look towards Juliet's character who Shakespeare seemed to have paid exceptional attention to. Juliet is considered to be the central point of interest and focus of the whole tragedy. What is interesting is that if you take away the dying part at the end any girl would want to be Juliet. She not only has one, but two men who want to marry her. Not only that, but she is intelligent and beautiful and does find love at first sight. For the first time Romeo meets Juliet in Capulet's house at the fair. In the noisy environment of the carnival  among many tables and dancing couples, Romeo sees Juliet and they both fall in love at first sight. What makes readers love this scene of love at first sight even more is the fact that it was written in a sonnet, which most people know are usually written about great love.Romeo and Juliet remains to be one of the greatest love stories because it appeals to many of the romantic sensibilities. Readers love the extremity of it. Our basic ideas of romance are upheld by the deaths. In many ways many people wish that they loved so strongly that they would literally die for it. It isn't happening in real life and most people would actually shy away from doing it, so Romeo and Juliet's extreme actions and passion, and sad consequences appeal to a part of us that we like to believe in, but don't really want to live out. In conclusion, love at first sight doesn't happen very often anymore, so plays like this help keep the hope alive for those who do believe.

Richard III and his Manipulation

In Act I, scene II we see how Richard manipulates Lady Anne into marrying him. This scene truly shows how evil and manipulation Richard really is. This scene is interesting because Shakespeare further developes Richareds character as this smart and hateful man. Shakespeare surprises his audience when he has Lady Anne, the widow of king Henr VI’s son Edward, fall for the man she hates most. Before Richard comes into the scene Anne blames him for both Henry VI and Edwards deathe, adne ven prays that any child Richard might have be deformed and sick, and that he should make any woman as miserable as Anne herself. this being one of the reasons that it is surprising that she becomes the women she is praying that curse on. We see in earlier scenes Richards manipulation, such those as Charences death, but this scene really develops the theme of Richard as a character. He uses gentle words to romantically court Lady Anne such as, “your beauty was the cause of that effect- you beauty, that did haunt me in my sleep to undertake the death of all the world, so I might live on hour in your sweet bosom”(I.II.29). Although she continues to curse him as the murderer of her husband and father-in-law. Richard uses the smooth technique of saying that Anne ought to forgive him of his crime out of Christian charity, and even going as far as lying and denying that he killed her loved ones. Even as Richard lies to Lady Anne’s face he continues to persuade her to marry him. Shakespeare gives Richards character words in this scene which show how manipulating he is. Even though Richard is evil, Shakespeare makes him charismatic and fascinating. His actions to Lady Anne makes not only Lady Anne sympathize with him, but also the audience. His brilliant wordplay allows him to seduce Lady Anne enen though she has knowledge of how cruel he is.

Titus Adronicus

        In Titus Adronicus one aspect of the play that really catches my attention is how the characters interact with their children. Titus Adronicus, Tamora, and Aaron are all three different characters; characters with different characteristics but the one common trait between each of them is that the care for their offspring. Although we see how they care about their own children it is very obvious that they do not care about taking action on other characters children. The first interaction between a character and their offspring comes in act one, scene one when we see how Tamora gives a plea to Titus asking him not to sacrifice her eldest son. In her speech to Titus she says,  “Stay Roman brethren!- Gracious conqueror; Victorious Titus, rue the tears I shed, a mother’s tears in passion for her son. And  if thy sons were ever dear to thee, O think my son to be as dear to me… but must my sons be slaughtered in the streets for valiant doings in their country’s cause?” (15). In this scene it is shown that Tamora cares deeply about her son, but cannot do anything to save him. In this same act we see how the characters in this play does not care about others offspring, or how they would feel about losing their child. After Titus orders Tamoras son to be sacrificed he says to her, “Patient yourself, madam, and pardon me. These are their brethren whom your Goths beheld alive and dead, and for their brethren slain religiously they ask a sacrifice. To this you son is marked, and ide he must, T’appease their groaning shadows are gone” (15). This speech shows that although Titus suffers the loss of his own sons he does not care about taking away someone elses.

        The next character that demonstrates how the characters in this play interact with their child is Aaron. Although Aaron is this cruel person who does not care what he does to others or who he kills, when his baby comes into the picture we see a different side to him. Instead of the cruel insensitive guy, we get a character who care about his son and does not mind sacracficing his own life as long as his son will be okay. We see Aarons plea in act five, scene one. Aaron asks Lucius to swear to him that his child shall survive. Aaron pleas to Lucius swearing on the God that Lucius believes in that he shall survive. To keep his son alive Aaron gives all the details of his crimes. Aaron reveals the parenthood of the child, the rapists of Lavinia, the murderers of Bassianus, his own trickery to get Titus's hand; finally, he takes credit for every act, saying, "And what not done, that thou hast cause to rue, / Wherein I has no stroke of mischief in it?" (171).

            In conclusion, we see how it does not matter the rank of the character, the evil of the character, or moral rights of the characters; in the end they all have one aspect in common. Each character would do anything they could to protect their children, but they would not think twice about hurting someone else’s child. I found this interesting because it had a great deal to do with the play, and the scenes that happened. All these characters no matter how heartless they may be all compare in the one way that they try to save their children if not anything else.