Moran Lit and Comp

Romeo and Juliet

Name: ______________________________

Remember that in our study of Oedipus Rex we spent a fair amount of time talking about
the notion of “necessity” and its role in Greek tragedy. Most of us agreed, I think, that
Oedipus couldn’t be said to be responsible for the tragic situation in which he finds
himself at the end of the play. The tragedy arises from the collision of an individual and a
necessity of the world, in Oedipus’ case a supernatural necessity. This collision results in
the effects that Aristotle wrote about: reversal, recognition, suffering.

We need to think about how Romeo and Juliet works as tragedy. Romeo and Juliet fall in
love and want to be together. First, what forces and circumstances conspire to frustrate
their hopes and eventually cause their demise? List them all.

What is the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet? How is it different than or similar to the
tragedy of Oedipus? (Questions to consider: How is necessity involved in the
Shakespeare play? Are Romeo and/or Juliet to blame in some way that Oedipus is not?)