The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-06-10

3 4. Il &
4 alone. Friar Laurence stands as tho
antagonistio principle OF the Sassion-
ate conflicts going on around him. He
u is father confessor to both families,
Il consequently in a position to aid and
to advise. He has tho confidence Of
4 all, and thus becomes the moving
agent in the plot. 81 ISL
h Ii. What is the effect Of the comic &
scenes introduced by Shakespeare IN
the course Of the play, and what is
their purpose sf9 = q.
Answer, It has been said that his
u comic characters take the place Of the Z
FL Creek chorus. Shakespeare repre-
sents life as it Is, ningling JOY and
4 sorrow. Tragedy becomes more tragic
h because surrounded by the common
realities Of life. # b Is
II tho comic scenes were taken out
OF the play, and only the passages OF
u JOY and sorrow between the lovers
4 left 1t would become unsubstantial
VI and unreal; also these lnterludes are
required to- break tho gloom 5s}
IT, What effect on the issue OF the
f play has Capulet's discrimination to
we'd Juliet to Paris? What arrange
ments does he enter into regarding
tho marriage celebratl on?
Answer, This forced marriage pro-
duces q crisis In Juliet's character
She is alone, unsupported and must
act for herself and aot quickly She
determines at any cost ITO live an
unstnined wife, to Romeo, and COOS
to seek sympathy and counsel from
Frinr Laurence, who knows her Sc 4
crot. He arranges a desperate way
OF escape, which love gives her (
strength to embrace
Ell Capuet sends ont for twenty cum
ming cooks to prepare that night Z
marriage feast. In which he shows
much more interest than Lady Capu-4
let does. He says: Hill
"I'll not to bed tonight;
I'll play the housewife;
Well keep no great ado,
A friend or two"
He is man Of ostentation, but
given to hospitality; Immediately at
ter he believes Juliet dead he arr
ranges for "sad burial feast
l3, Why does the grief Of the Cap
ulnts over Jullets supposed death
seem unreal and make little demand
upon the sympathy Of the reader?
Answer. Because the reader knows
4 that Juliet is not dead, but sleeping;
also because her parents have treated
& her with such unkindness and So
verify. Her mother has just said:i
would the fool were married to her
gravel" Her fathers I'VE have a
curse In having herr" and has threat q
ened to turn her out into the street
If she does not obey him and marry
Paris.
a. What circumstances in ACT ",
lead the reader to believe that great
tragedies are often the result OF ap-
parently insignificant omissions or
mistakes?
Answer. In this act Friar Johns
omission to give or send the letter
to Romeo is the turning point. Hear
Il ing OF Juliet's death Romeo's Hbe-
tossed soul" is filled with but one
thought-to die with her. II he had
recognized Paris and explained to
him that he was Juliet's husband; II
he had realized that the color in her
lips and face WAS not the hue OF
death; II the Friar had not put Off
his arrival at tho tomb till the last
moment; II he had not stumbled over
the graves In going there, all might
have been different. But an over
ruling fate threw all these chances
away. In the dim background 81 the
play is retribuuon. but In the fore-
ground Is the strange work of Proyi-
4 dence by which accident mocks the
hest concerted schemes of man.
Shakespeare thus often reminds us
that there is
"a divinity that shapes our ends (
Rough hsW them how We VIII"