William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet - 1671 Words

Names play an important role in Romeo and Juliet, as names are what define the sides of the feuding families within the play. Not only does Shakespeare name his characters well, but he also uses different methods of naming throughout the play that references back to specific characters. Within Romeo and Juliet, however, Shakespeare’s methods of naming take on a form that indicates language as key and the two lovers are driven back towards the culture of their fictional world of Verona. Shakespeare uses names and naming in the world within the play to demonstrate its importance as the two lovers attempt to defy the linguistic conventions of â€Å"Verona† culture in terms of identity. This defiance of culture indicates that the play is a tragedy†¦show more content†¦Within the first scene, Montague informs the reader of his son’s identity as he â€Å"private in his chamber pens himself† (1.1.133). As Romeo â€Å"pens† himself, the play allude s to the Petrarchan lover and his place within the narrative. Romeo becomes a tragic protagonist, and as a written character, he reflects on his constructed identity in the narrative and culture. Upon first meeting Juliet, their speech consists of a broken sonnet and she describes him as â€Å"kiss[ing] by th’ book† (1.4.222). Juliet’s and Montague’s descriptions, suggest that other characters imprinted with the culture of â€Å"Verona† focused on identifying those on specific sides and direct his identity as a written character towards the Petrarchan narrative as Romeo â€Å"pens† his condition within the narrative of the play. There is a connection to language and the power that words hold, and this remains with the identity of Romeo as well as the power in words that are associated with him. In Act 2 Scene 1, Romeo takes Juliet’s plea for him to reject his name seriously as he states: â€Å"I take thee at thy word./ Call me but â €˜love,’ and I’ll be new baptized:/ Henceforth I never will be Romeo† (2.1.92-94). He rejects his name to take on â€Å"love† and by interrupting Juliet he also breaks the bonds that separate their feuding families. He defies the courtship tradition and transforms Juliet into someone more than just Capulet’s daughter. She is now created by his