Discussion Topic
Communication failures in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Summary:
Communication failures in Romeo and Juliet significantly contribute to the tragedy. Key examples include Romeo not receiving Friar Laurence's letter explaining Juliet's fake death and Juliet's inability to communicate her plan to her family. These misunderstandings lead to the lovers' untimely deaths, highlighting the crucial role of miscommunication in the play's tragic outcome.
What are some examples of communication failures in acts 1 or 2 of Romeo and Juliet?
In act 1, scene 2, Lord Capulet and Paris discuss a marriage between Juliet and Paris. Juliet is left out of this communication loop as Lord Capulet instructs Paris in the arts of wooing the young Juliet. While Lady Capulet speaks briefly with her daughter about marrying Paris in act 1, Juliet doesn't really understand that this is already a sealed deal. In fact, in act 3, Lord Capulet asks his wife if she has spoken with Juliet about the imminent wedding, and it seems that no one ever got around to this (significant) detail. If Juliet had known that her parents' real intentions we to marry her off to Paris as quickly as possible, she might have made some different decisions following her marriage to Romeo—perhaps even choosing to flee to Mantua with him.
In act 2, scene 6, Friar Lawrence marries Romeo and Juliet secretly. It's important...
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to recall that Juliet is still just thirteen, so it's quite deceptive for him to keep her parents out of this communication loop; she's barely more than a child by any society's standards. While Lord Capulet certainly has a strong personality, it's worth noting that early in the play, he tells Tybalt that "to say truth, Verona brags of [Romeo] / To be a virtuous and well-governed youth" (I.v.73–74). This is evidence that Lord Capulet could have been swayed toward Romeo as a choice for Juliet if the friar had handled the situation with more discernment. The lack of communication on this front made Romeo an impossible outcome as Juliet's husband.
In act 3, scene 1, Tybalt demands that Romeo fight him. Romeo deflects by providing vague statements about suddenly loving Tybalt. Of course, Romeo is referring to the fact that Tybalt is now his family because he has married Juliet, who is Tybalt's cousin. Tybalt has no idea what Romeo is talking about, and this reference to love further incenses Tybalt, who believes that he needs to defend the honor of his family. Again, if Romeo and Tybalt had been able to communicate the truth of the situation, perhaps the bloody fight could have been avoided entirely.
Shakespeare uses dramatic irony throughout his play Romeo and Juliet. Dramatic irony is when the audience knows something which one or more of the characters is unaware of. Because of this, misunderstandings and lack of communication are prevalent.
The biggest lack of communication is between Romeo with his parents and Juliet with her parents. Nether is able to discuss the most important things in their lives. In fact, there is no scene in which Romeo talks with his parents. For Juliet, it is always a one way discussion with her parents basically telling her what to do and think. Romeo also lacks true communication with Mercutio and Friar Lawrence.
In Act I, Lord Montague has no idea why Romeo is acting so moody and depressed. Rather than talk to his son directly he asks Benvolio to discover Romeo's problem. Lord Montague fails to realize his son is quite the romantic and falls in love easily. It never seems to occur to Romeo to communicate with his father about the fact he has fallen in love with a Capulet.
Even though they are best friends Romeo lacks communication with Mercutio in Act I, Scene 4. Romeo has had a disturbing dream foretelling his imminent death. When he tries to tell Mercutio, his friend, always wanting to be the center of attention, launches into his Queen Mab speech, forgetting to listen to Romeo. At the close of the scene, Romeo tells the audience about his dream. In an aside he says,
I fear too early, for my mind misgives
Some consequence yet hanging in the stars
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date
With this night’s revels, and expire the term
Of a despisèd life closed in my breast
By some vile forfeit of untimely death.
But he that hath the steerage of my course
Direct my sail. On, lusty gentlemen.
Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast.
Romeo, of course, never listens. He plunges into his love for Juliet without communicating with anyone in his family, and in Act III he impulsively flies into a rage when Tybalt kills Mercutio.These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume. The sweetest honey
Is loathsome in his own deliciousness
And in the taste confounds the appetite.
Therefore love moderately. Long love doth so.
Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.
What are the communication breakdowns in Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet?
One break down in communication that we see is of course the fact that Friar Laurence's letter was never delivered to Romeo in Mantua. It was essential for Romeo to have received the letter because it was the only way he could learn about Friar Laurence's deceptive plan to fake Juliet's death. Friar Laurence could have delivered the letter himself or found some other way to get the essential communication to Romeo. Instead, he gave it to Friar John to be delivered on foot. Not wanting to travel alone, Friar John found a fellow friar to travel with him who had been visiting the sick. The authorities suspected that they had both been in an infectious house and quarantined them; therefore, the letter never made it to Mantua, as we see in the lines:
Suspecting that we were both in a house
Where the infectious pestilence did reign,
Seal'd up the doors, and would not let us forth,
So that my speed to Mantua there was stay'd. (V.ii.9-12)
Instead, Romeo's servant, Balthasar, delivered the news of Juliet's death
and Romeo believed that it was real. This miscommunication of course led to
Romeo's misguided suicide.
A second instance we see of miscommunication is that Romeo does not share his
decision to marry Juliet with Benvolio or Mercutio. As a result of Romeo's
silence, Mercutio does not understand Romeo's reasons for refusing to challenge
Tybalt when he is challenged. Instead, Mercutio believes that Romeo is acting
cowardly and refers to his refusal to fight as, "O calm, dishonourable, vile
submission!" (III.i.72). Had Mercutio been more aware of Romeo's issues and
aware that Tybalt was now Romeo's family member, then Mercutio may have reacted
differently. This miscommunication may have saved Mercutio's life, as well as
Tybalt's, Romeo's, and Juliet's lives.